CN114852092B

CN114852092B - Steering wheel hands-off detection method and device, readable storage medium and vehicle

Info

Publication number: CN114852092B
Application number: CN202210778661.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 马骁
Original assignee: Xiaomi Automobile Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Xiaomi Automobile Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-07-04
Filing date: 2022-07-04
Publication date: 2022-09-30
Anticipated expiration: 2042-07-04
Also published as: CN114852092A

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a steering wheel hands-off detection method and device, a readable storage medium and a vehicle, and relates to the field of automatic driving. The method comprises the following steps: periodically acquiring a capacitance value acquired by a capacitance sensor for a vehicle steering wheel; acquiring a torque value acquired by a torque sensor for the steering wheel; periodically determining the capacitance value variation according to the capacitance value and a preset capacitance reference value; and when the capacitance value variation is smaller than a preset capacitance value variation threshold value and the working state of the capacitance sensor is not in an effective state, determining a hand-off detection result according to the working state of the capacitance sensor and the torque value. Therefore, even under some special use scenes, whether the steering wheel is out of hand or not can be accurately detected, accurate information is provided for an auxiliary driving system, and the driving safety is improved.

Description

Steering wheel hands-off detection method and device, readable storage medium and vehicle

Technical Field

The disclosure relates to the technical field of automatic driving, and in particular relates to a steering wheel hands-off detection method and device, a readable storage medium and a vehicle.

Background

Current vehicles typically have driver assist systems that assist the driver in controlling the operation of the vehicle. Some driver-assisted systems still require the driver to maintain control of the vehicle at all times during operation, and cannot completely replace the driver's control of the vehicle. If the driver disengages the steering wheel with both hands, the driver may not be able to take over the vehicle in time in the event of a dangerous situation that the system is unable to handle. Some driver assistance systems still need to detect whether the driver is holding the steering wheel when turned on. In the related art, a capacitive sensor may be used to detect a contact state of a driver's hand with a steering wheel of a vehicle to determine whether the steering wheel is out of hand, but in some special cases, the detection result is not accurate.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to overcome the problems in the related art, the present disclosure provides a steering wheel hands-off detection method, apparatus, readable storage medium and vehicle.

According to a first aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a steering wheel hands-off detection method, including:

periodically acquiring capacitance values acquired by a capacitance sensor for a vehicle steering wheel;

periodically acquiring a torque value acquired by a torque sensor for the steering wheel;

determining the capacitance value variation according to the capacitance value and a preset capacitance reference value;

and when the capacitance value variation is smaller than a preset capacitance value variation threshold value and the working state of the capacitance sensor is not in an effective state, determining a hand-off detection result according to the working state of the capacitance sensor and the torque value.

Optionally, the method further comprises:

and when the capacitance value variation is larger than the capacitance value variation threshold, determining that the detection result of the hand release is holding, and setting the working state of the capacitance sensor to be the effective state.

Optionally, the determining the detection result of the hands-off according to the working state of the capacitive sensor and the torque value includes:

determining the torque value variation according to the torque value and a preset torque reference value;

judging whether the torque value variation meets a preset torque release condition or not;

if the torque value variation satisfies the torque hands-off condition, determining a hands-off detection result according to the working state of the capacitive sensor;

and if the torque value variation does not meet the torque release condition, determining that the release detection result is holding, and setting the working state of the capacitive sensor to be the invalid state.

Optionally, the determining a hands-off detection result according to the working state of the capacitive sensor includes:

if the working state of the capacitance sensor is in the unknown state, determining that the detection result of the hands-off is unknown;

and if the working state of the capacitance sensor is not in the unknown state, determining that the hand-off detection result is the hand-off.

Optionally, the determining whether the torque value variation satisfies a predetermined torque hands-off condition includes:

if the torque value variation is larger than a preset torque value variation threshold, judging that the torque value variation does not meet the torque release condition;

and if the torque value variation is smaller than the torque value variation threshold, determining that the torque value variation satisfies the torque release condition.

Optionally, the method further comprises:

and when the capacitance value variation is smaller than the capacitance value variation threshold value and the working state of the capacitance sensor is in the effective state, determining that the hand-off detection result is hand-off.

According to a second aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a steering wheel hands-off detection apparatus including:

the device comprises a first acquisition module, a second acquisition module and a control module, wherein the first acquisition module is configured to periodically acquire capacitance values acquired by a capacitance sensor for a vehicle steering wheel;

a second acquisition module configured to periodically acquire a torque value acquired for a torque sensor of the steering wheel;

a first determination module configured to determine a capacitance value change amount according to the capacitance value and a predetermined capacitance reference value;

the second determination module is configured to determine a hands-off detection result according to the working state of the capacitive sensor and the torque value when the capacitance value variation is smaller than a predetermined capacitance value variation threshold and the working state of the capacitive sensor is not in an effective state.

Optionally, the apparatus further comprises:

a third determining module configured to determine that the detection result of the hands-off is holding when the capacitance value variation is larger than the capacitance value variation threshold, and set the working state of the capacitance sensor to the valid state.

According to a third aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle including:

a second processor;

a second memory for storing the second processor-executable instructions;

wherein the second processor is configured to:

the steps of the steering wheel hands-off detection method provided by the first aspect of the present disclosure are implemented.

According to a fourth aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer program instructions, which when executed by a first processor, implement the steps of the steering wheel hands-off detection method provided by the first aspect of the present disclosure.

The technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the disclosure can have the following beneficial effects: the working state of the capacitance sensor is not in an effective state, which indicates that the hand-off detection result cannot be directly determined according to the capacitance value acquired by the capacitance sensor in the previous period, if the capacitance value variation detected by the capacitance sensor in the current period is smaller (smaller than a preset capacitance value variation threshold), the hand-off detection result cannot be determined according to the capacitance value acquired by the capacitance sensor in the current period, and at the moment, the hand-off detection result is determined by combining the working state of the steering wheel capacitance sensor and the torque value acquired by the torque sensor of the steering wheel. Therefore, even in some special use scenes (for example, a driver wears gloves to control a steering wheel, a steering wheel sleeve is arranged outside the steering wheel and the like) in which the hands-off detection result cannot be determined directly according to the capacitance value acquired by the capacitance sensor, whether the steering wheel is in hands-off can be accurately detected, accurate information is provided for an auxiliary driving system, and the driving safety is improved.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

Fig. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method of steering wheel hands-off detection according to an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method of steering wheel hands-off detection according to another exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a steering wheel hands-off detection apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a vehicle shown in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the accompanying drawings, like numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The implementations described in the exemplary embodiments below are not intended to represent all implementations consistent with the present disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present disclosure, as detailed in the appended claims.

It should be noted that all the actions of acquiring signals, information or data in the present application are performed under the premise of complying with the corresponding data protection regulation policy of the country of the location and obtaining the authorization given by the owner of the corresponding device.

During driving, the driver can leave the steering wheel with both hands due to emergencies or habitual reasons, which is a very dangerous behavior in low-speed or high-speed driving. The steering wheel hands-off detection detects whether the driver's hands are off the steering wheel. If the driver leaves the vehicle, the driver can be reminded and warned, so that the driving safety is guaranteed in the auxiliary driving system.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method of steering wheel hands-off detection in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. As shown in fig. 1, the method includes the following steps.

In step S101, capacitance values acquired for a capacitance sensor of a vehicle steering wheel are periodically acquired.

In the related art, a capacitive sensor for a steering wheel of a vehicle may be provided in the vehicle, and a capacitance value acquired by the capacitive sensor may be used to indicate whether a driver's hand is held on the steering wheel.

In step S102, a torque value collected for a torque sensor of a steering wheel of a vehicle is periodically acquired.

In the related art, a torque sensor for a steering wheel of a vehicle may be provided in the vehicle, and the torque value collected by the torque sensor is indicative of the magnitude of the torque applied to the steering column due to the angular deflection of the steering wheel. The torque sensor may be provided on the vehicle steering column or on a member connected to the steering column. The period of the capacitance sensor for acquiring the capacitance value and the period of the torque sensor for acquiring the torque value may be the same or different.

In step S103, a capacitance value variation is determined according to the capacitance value and a predetermined capacitance reference value.

The capacitance variation may be a difference between the collected capacitance and the capacitance reference value. The capacitance reference value is preset by a designer according to experiments or experience, and may be, for example, 1F, and if the capacitance value collected by the capacitance sensor in step S101 is 3F, the difference between the capacitance value and the capacitance reference value is 2F, and the capacitance value variation is 2F.

In step S104, when the capacitance variation is smaller than the predetermined capacitance variation threshold and the operating state of the capacitive sensor is not in the valid state, a hands-off detection result is determined according to the operating state of the capacitive sensor and the torque value.

The hands-off detection results may include hold, hands-off, and unknown. Holding means that the driver holds the steering wheel; hands-off means that the driver's hands are switched from holding the steering wheel to leaving the steering wheel; the unknown representation does not determine whether the driver's hand is holding or leaving the steering wheel.

As indicated above, the capacitance value acquired by the capacitive sensor may be used to characterize whether the driver's hand is held on the steering wheel. A capacitance value variation threshold value can be preset according to the test result, so that when the capacitance value variation is larger than the predetermined capacitance value variation threshold value, the fact that the driver holds the steering wheel by hand can be considered to be detected; when the capacitance variation is smaller than the predetermined capacitance variation threshold, it is considered that the driver's hand holding the steering wheel cannot be detected at this time.

The period for determining the hands-off detection result according to the working state of the capacitance sensor and the torque value can be the same as or different from the period for acquiring the capacitance value, and can also be the same as or different from the period for acquiring the torque value. The operating state of the capacitive sensor can be reset according to the actual situation while determining the hands-off detection result at each cycle. The period hereinafter refers to a period in which the hands-off detection result is determined.

The working state of the capacitance sensor is not in an effective state, which indicates that the hand-off detection result cannot be directly determined according to the capacitance value acquired by the capacitance sensor in the previous period, and if the capacitance value variation detected by the capacitance sensor in the current period is smaller (smaller than a predetermined capacitance value variation threshold), the hand-off detection result cannot be determined according to the capacitance value acquired by the capacitance sensor in the current period.

If the capacitance variation detected by the capacitance sensor is smaller than the predetermined capacitance variation threshold in the current period, the driver's holding the steering wheel cannot be detected, but there are several possible situations: 1) the driver's hand is switched from holding the steering wheel in the last week to leaving the steering wheel; 2) after the vehicle is started at this time, the hands of the driver have not contacted the steering wheel; 3) the driver controls the steering wheel in some special use scenarios (e.g., the driver wearing gloves to control the steering wheel, a steering wheel cover on the outside of the steering wheel, etc.).

When the working state of the capacitive sensor is reset while the hand-off detection result is determined, the current working state of the capacitive sensor represents the actual situation in the previous period, so that the hand-off detection result can be accurately determined by combining the working state of the capacitive sensor when the capacitance value variation is smaller than the predetermined capacitance value variation threshold.

The capacitive sensor may have a predetermined initial operating state, and the operating state of the capacitive sensor may be reset with periodic determination of the hands-off detection result.

If the working state of the current capacitive sensor is not in an effective state and the capacitance variation detected by the capacitive sensor is small (smaller than a predetermined capacitance variation threshold), it is considered that it is not accurate to obtain the hands-off detection result only according to the capacitance collected by the capacitive sensor, and therefore, the hands-off detection result is determined by combining the working state of the steering wheel capacitive sensor and the torque value collected by the torque sensor of the steering wheel.

Through the technical scheme, even under some special use scenes (for example, a driver wears gloves to control the steering wheel, a steering wheel sleeve is arranged outside the steering wheel, and the like), whether the steering wheel is out of hand or not can be accurately detected, accurate information is provided for an auxiliary driving system, and the driving safety is improved.

In yet another embodiment, the steering wheel hands-off detection method further comprises: and when the capacitance value variation is larger than the capacitance value variation threshold, determining that the detection result of the out-of-hand is holding, and setting the working state of the capacitance sensor to be an effective state.

As described above, when the capacitance value change amount is larger than the predetermined capacitance value change amount threshold, it can be considered that the driver's hand holding the steering wheel is detected at this time. No matter what working state the capacitive sensor is in, the holding detection result can be directly determined according to the capacitance value acquired by the capacitive sensor at the moment, and the torque value acquired by the torque sensor does not need to be considered.

And at this moment, the working state of the capacitance sensor can be set to be an effective state, which indicates that the hands-off detection result can be determined directly according to the capacitance value acquired by the capacitance sensor in the period.

In the embodiment, when the capacitance value variation is larger than the capacitance value variation threshold, the holding-off detection result is directly determined as holding, the working state of the capacitance sensor is set to be an effective state, historical data is provided for the subsequent holding-off detection result as a basis, and the method is simple and high in accuracy.

In yet another embodiment, the operating state of the capacitive sensor may include an unknown state, an active state, and an inactive state. The initial operating state of the capacitive sensor is an unknown state. The determining the detection result of the hands-off according to the working state and the torque value of the capacitive sensor comprises:

if the torque value variation satisfies the torque hands-off condition, determining the hands-off detection result according to the working state of the capacitive sensor;

and if the torque value variation does not meet the torque hands-off condition, determining that the hands-off detection result is holding, and setting the working state of the capacitive sensor to be an invalid state.

That is, when the whole vehicle is started, the working state of the capacitive sensor is initialized to an unknown state, and after the vehicle is started, the working state of the capacitive sensor is adjusted according to the actual situation.

The torque value variation amount may be a difference between the collected torque value and the torque reference value. The torque reference value is preset by the designer based on experimentation or experience.

When the torque value variation does not satisfy the torque hands-off condition, it may be considered that it can be determined that the driver holds the steering wheel with his hand according to the torque value variation, that is, the hands-off detection result is holding, and at this time, it may be considered that although the current operating state of the capacitive sensor is not in an effective state, it can still be determined that the hands-off detection result is holding directly according to the torque value variation. However, the capacitance sensor is not in an active state (an inactive state or an unknown state) at present, which means that the detection result of the hands-off cannot be determined to be held according to the capacitance value acquired by the capacitance sensor, and therefore, the capacitance sensor can be set to an inactive state. The actual situation at this time may be that the driver wears gloves to control the steering wheel or that there is a steering wheel cover on the outside of the steering wheel.

When the torque value variation satisfies the torque hands-off condition, it can be considered that the hands-off detection result cannot be determined directly according to the torque value variation (the hands-off detection result cannot be determined directly according to the capacitance value variation) either, and the hands-off detection result can be determined in combination with the working state (invalid or unknown state) of the capacitance sensor.

In the embodiment, when the torque value variation does not meet the torque hands-off condition, the hands-off detection result is directly determined to be holding, the working state of the capacitive sensor is set to be an invalid state, and historical data are provided for the subsequent hands-off detection result as a basis; and when the torque value variation meets the torque hands-off condition, the hands-off detection result is determined by combining the working state of the capacitance sensor, and the accuracy is high.

In another embodiment, the determining the hands-off detection result according to the operating state of the capacitive sensor includes:

if the working state of the capacitance sensor is in an unknown state, determining that the detection result of the hands-off is unknown;

and if the working state of the capacitance sensor is not in an unknown state, determining that the hand-off detection result is the hand-off.

When the working state of the capacitive sensor is in an unknown state, it is shown that the working state of the capacitive sensor is not set to be an effective state because the capacitance value variation is larger than the capacitance value variation threshold value in the period, and the over-grip detection result is judged to be a grip according to the torque value variation in the history period, so that the working state of the capacitive sensor is set to be an invalid state. Therefore, the driver does not control the steering wheel in a special scene (for example, wearing gloves), and may not touch the steering wheel all the time after the entire vehicle is started, so that the operating state of the vehicle is not adjusted, and the hands-off detection result cannot be determined at this time, so that the hands-off detection result is determined to be unknown.

If the working state of the capacitive sensor is determined not to be in an unknown state, the working state of the capacitive sensor is in an invalid state at the moment, and it is indicated that in a history period, the hands-off detection result is judged to be holding according to the torque value change amount once, so that the working state of the capacitive sensor is set to be the invalid state, and it is indicated that a driver controls a steering wheel in a special scene (for example, wearing gloves) once, and the current torque value change amount meets the hands-off condition, so that the hands-off of the steering wheel at the moment can be determined, that is, the hands-off detection result is determined to be hands-off.

In this embodiment, when the torque value variation satisfies the hands-off condition, it is determined whether the hands-off detection result is hands-off or unknown by determining whether the capacitance sensor is in an unknown state, and the accuracy is high.

In another embodiment, the step of determining whether the torque value variation satisfies a predetermined torque release condition includes:

and if the torque value variation is smaller than the torque value variation threshold, judging that the torque value variation meets the torque release condition.

The torque value variation threshold is preset by a designer. When the torque value variation is larger than the predetermined torque value variation threshold, the steering wheel is considered to be subjected to a certain torque action exerted by an external force, which indicates that the driver is controlling the steering wheel, and no matter the driver holds the steering wheel for control or controls the steering wheel in a special scene (for example, wears gloves), the predetermined torque hands-off condition is not satisfied at this moment; when the torque value variation is smaller than the predetermined torque value variation threshold, it can be considered that the steering wheel is not subjected to the torque applied by the external force, so that it is considered that the driver does not control the steering wheel at present, and the predetermined torque hands-off condition is satisfied.

In the embodiment, whether the preset torque release condition is met or not is determined according to whether the torque value variation is larger than the preset torque value variation threshold or not, the accuracy is high, the probability of misjudgment is reduced, the method is simple, and the processing speed is high.

In yet another embodiment, the steering wheel hands-off detection method further comprises: and when the capacitance value variation is smaller than the capacitance value variation threshold value and the working state of the capacitance sensor is in an effective state, determining that the hand-off detection result is hand-off.

That is, when the capacitance variation is smaller than the capacitance variation threshold value, it cannot be directly judged that the steering wheel is out of hand. At this time, if it is determined that the operating state of the capacitance sensor is in the valid state, it is described that the holding of the hand-off detection result is determined at least once in the history period based on the capacitance variation being greater than the capacitance variation threshold. Therefore, the hands-off detection result can be determined to be hands-off by directly determining that the capacitance variation is smaller than the capacitance variation threshold value in combination with the current effective state of the capacitance sensor.

In this embodiment, when the working state of the capacitive sensor is in an effective state, the detection result of the hands-off is determined according to the fact that the capacitance variation is smaller than the capacitance variation threshold, and the determination result is accurate and reliable.

Fig. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method of steering wheel hands-off detection in accordance with another exemplary embodiment. The steps in the embodiment of fig. 2 are a combination of the steps in the above embodiments, and specifically include the following steps.

1. After the whole vehicle is started, the working state of the capacitance sensor is initialized to an unknown state;

2. acquiring a capacitance value acquired by a capacitance sensor, determining capacitance value variation according to the capacitance value, and judging whether the capacitance value variation is smaller than a preset capacitance value variation threshold;

3. if the capacitance value variation is larger than a preset capacitance value variation threshold, determining that the steering wheel holding-off detection result is holding, and setting the working state of the capacitance sensor to be an effective state;

4. if the capacitance value variation is smaller than a preset capacitance value variation threshold, judging whether the working state of the capacitance sensor is an effective state;

5. if the working state of the capacitive sensor is in an effective state, determining that the hand-off detection result is hand-off;

6. if the working state of the capacitive sensor is not in an effective state, acquiring a torque value acquired by a torque sensor, determining a torque value variation according to the torque value, and judging whether the torque value variation meets a preset torque release condition or not;

7. if the torque value variation is larger than the preset torque value variation threshold, judging that the preset torque release condition is not met, determining that the release detection result is holding, and setting the working state of the capacitive sensor to be an invalid state;

8. if the torque value variation is smaller than a preset torque value variation threshold, judging that a torque release condition is met, and judging whether the working state of the capacitive sensor is an unknown state;

9. if the working state of the capacitance sensor is in an unknown state, determining that the detection result of the hands-off is unknown;

10. and if the working state of the capacitance sensor is not in an unknown state, determining that the hand-off detection result is the hand-off.

Based on the same invention concept, the disclosure also provides a steering wheel hands-off detection device. Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a steering wheel hands-off detection apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. Referring to fig. 3, the steering wheel hands-off detection apparatus 300 includes a first acquisition module 301, a second acquisition module 302, a first determination module 303, and a second determination module 304.

The first obtaining module 301 is configured to periodically obtain a capacitance value collected by a capacitance sensor for a steering wheel of a vehicle;

the second obtaining module 302 is configured to periodically obtain a torque value collected for a torque sensor of a steering wheel;

the first determining module 303 is configured to determine a capacitance value change amount according to the capacitance value and a predetermined capacitance reference value;

the second determining module 304 is configured to determine the hands-off detection result according to the working state of the capacitive sensor and the torque value when the capacitance value variation is smaller than the predetermined capacitance value variation threshold and the working state of the capacitive sensor is not in the valid state.

Optionally, the steering wheel hands-off detection apparatus 300 further comprises a third determination module.

The third determination module is configured to determine that the out-of-hand detection result is holding and set the operating state of the capacitive sensor to an active state when the capacitance value variation amount is greater than the capacitance value variation amount threshold.

Optionally, the working state of the capacitive sensor includes an unknown state, an active state, and an inactive state, the initial working state of the capacitive sensor is the unknown state, and the second determining module 304 includes a first determining submodule, a first judging submodule, a second determining submodule, and a third determining submodule.

The first determination submodule is configured to determine a torque value change amount based on the torque value and a predetermined torque reference value.

The first determination submodule is configured to determine whether the torque value variation satisfies a predetermined torque hands-off condition.

The second determination submodule is configured to determine a hands-off detection result according to an operating state of the capacitive sensor if the torque value change amount satisfies a torque hands-off condition.

The third determination submodule is configured to determine that the hands-off detection result is holding if the torque value variation does not satisfy the torque hands-off condition, and set the operating state of the capacitive sensor to an invalid state.

Optionally, the second determination submodule is further configured to:

Optionally, the first determining submodule includes a second determining submodule and a third determining submodule.

The second determination submodule is configured to determine that the torque value variation does not satisfy the torque hands-off condition if the torque value variation is larger than a predetermined torque value variation threshold;

the third determination submodule is configured to determine that the torque value variation satisfies the torque release condition if the torque value variation is smaller than the torque value variation threshold.

Optionally, the steering wheel hands-off detection apparatus 300 further comprises a fourth determination module.

The fourth determination module is configured to determine that the hands-off detection result is hands-off when the capacitance value variation is smaller than the capacitance value variation threshold and the working state of the capacitance sensor is in an effective state.

With regard to the apparatus in the above-described embodiment, the specific manner in which each module performs the operation has been described in detail in the embodiment related to the method, and will not be elaborated here.

According to the technical scheme, even under some special use scenes (for example, a driver wears gloves to control the steering wheel, a steering wheel sleeve exists outside the steering wheel, and the like), whether the steering wheel is out of hand or not can be accurately detected, accurate information is provided for an auxiliary driving system, and driving safety is improved.

The present disclosure also provides a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer program instructions which, when executed by a first processor, implement the steps of the steering wheel hands-off detection method provided by the present disclosure.

Referring to fig. 4, fig. 4 is a functional block diagram of a vehicle 400 according to an exemplary embodiment. The vehicle 400 may be configured in a fully or partially autonomous driving mode. For example, the vehicle 400 may acquire environmental information of its surroundings through the perception system 420 and derive an automatic driving strategy based on an analysis of the surrounding environmental information to implement full automatic driving, or present the analysis results to the user to implement partial automatic driving.

The vehicle 400 may include various subsystems such as an infotainment system 410, a perception system 420, a decision control system 430, a drive system 440, and a computing platform 450. Alternatively, vehicle 400 may include more or fewer subsystems, and each subsystem may include multiple components. In addition, each of the sub-systems and components of the vehicle 400 may be interconnected by wire or wirelessly.

In some embodiments, infotainment system 410 may include a communication system 411, an entertainment system 412, and a navigation system 413.

The communication system 411 may comprise a wireless communication system that may wirelessly communicate with one or more devices, either directly or via a communication network. For example, the wireless communication system may use 3G cellular communication, such as CDMA, EVD0, GSM/GPRS, or 4G cellular communication, such as LTE. Or 5G cellular communication. The wireless communication system may communicate with a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) using WiFi. In some embodiments, the wireless communication system may communicate directly with the device using an infrared link, bluetooth, or ZigBee. Other wireless protocols, such as various vehicular communication systems, for example, a wireless communication system may include one or more Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) devices that may include public and/or private data communications between vehicles and/or roadside stations.

The entertainment system 412 may include a display device, a microphone, and a sound box, where a user may listen to a radio in the car, play music, based on the entertainment system; or the mobile phone is communicated with the vehicle, screen projection of the mobile phone is realized on the display equipment, the display equipment can be in a touch control type, and a user can operate the display equipment by touching the screen.

In some cases, the voice signal of the user may be acquired through a microphone, and certain control of the vehicle 400 by the user, such as adjusting the temperature in the vehicle, etc., may be implemented according to the analysis of the voice signal of the user. In other cases, music may be played to the user through a sound.

The navigation system 413 may include a map service provided by a map provider to provide navigation of the route traveled by the vehicle 400, and the navigation system 413 may be used in conjunction with the global positioning system 421 and the inertial measurement unit 422 of the vehicle. The map service provided by the map provider can be a two-dimensional map or a high-precision map.

The perception system 420 may include several types of sensors that sense information about the environment surrounding the vehicle 400. For example, the sensing system 420 may include a global positioning system 421 (the global positioning system may be a GPS system, a compass system, or other positioning system), an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) 422, a laser radar 423, a millimeter wave radar 424, an ultrasonic radar 425, and a camera 426. The sensing system 420 may also include sensors of internal systems of the monitored vehicle 400 (e.g., an in-vehicle air quality monitor, a fuel gauge, an oil temperature gauge, etc.). Sensor data from one or more of these sensors may be used to detect the object and its corresponding characteristics (position, shape, orientation, velocity, etc.). Such detection and identification is a critical function of the safe operation of the vehicle 400.

Global positioning system 421 is used to estimate the geographic location of vehicle 400.

The inertial measurement unit 422 is used to sense a pose change of the vehicle 400 based on the inertial acceleration. In some embodiments, the inertial measurement unit 422 may be a combination of an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

Lidar 423 utilizes laser light to sense objects in the environment in which vehicle 400 is located. In some embodiments, lidar 423 may include one or more laser sources, laser scanners, and one or more detectors, among other system components.

Millimeter-wave radar 424 utilizes radio signals to sense objects within the surrounding environment of vehicle 400. In some embodiments, in addition to sensing objects, the millimeter-wave radar 424 may also be used to sense the speed and/or heading of objects.

The ultrasonic radar 425 may sense objects around the vehicle 400 using ultrasonic signals.

The camera 426 is used to capture image information of the surroundings of the vehicle 400. The camera 426 may include a monocular camera, a binocular camera, a structured light camera, a panoramic camera, and the like, and the image information acquired by the camera 426 may include still images and may also include video stream information.

Decision control system 430 includes a computing system 431 for making analytical decisions based on information obtained by sensing system 420, and decision control system 430 further includes a vehicle control unit 432 for controlling the powertrain of vehicle 400, and a steering system 433, throttle 434, and braking system 435 for controlling vehicle 400.

The computing system 431 may be operable to process and analyze various information acquired by the perception system 420 in order to identify objects, and/or features in the environment surrounding the vehicle 400. The targets may include pedestrians or animals, and the objects and/or features may include traffic signals, road boundaries, and obstacles. The computing system 431 may use object recognition algorithms, Motion from Motion (SFM) algorithms, video tracking, and the like. In some embodiments, the computing system 431 may be used to map an environment, track objects, estimate the speed of objects, and so on. The computing system 431 may analyze the various information obtained and derive a control strategy for the vehicle.

The vehicle control unit 432 may be used to perform coordinated control on the power battery and the engine 441 of the vehicle to improve the power performance of the vehicle 400.

The steering system 433 is operable to adjust the heading of the vehicle 400. For example, in one embodiment, a steering wheel system.

The throttle 434 is used to control the operating speed of the engine 441 and, in turn, the speed of the vehicle 400.

The braking system 435 is used to control the deceleration of the vehicle 400. The braking system 435 may use friction to slow the wheels 444. In some embodiments, the braking system 435 may convert the kinetic energy of the wheels 444 into electrical current. The braking system 435 may take other forms to slow the rotational speed of the wheels 444 to control the speed of the vehicle 400.

The drive system 440 may include components that provide powered movement to the vehicle 400. In one embodiment, drive system 440 may include an engine 441, an energy source 442, a transmission 443, and wheels 444. The engine 441 may be an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, an air compression engine, or other types of engine combinations, such as a hybrid engine consisting of a gasoline engine and an electric motor, a hybrid engine consisting of an internal combustion engine and an air compression engine. The engine 441 converts the energy source 442 into mechanical energy.

Examples of energy source 442 include gasoline, diesel, other petroleum-based fuels, propane, other compressed gas-based fuels, ethanol, solar panels, batteries, and other sources of electrical power. The energy source 442 may also provide energy to other systems of the vehicle 400.

The transmission system 443 may transmit mechanical power from the engine 441 to the wheels 444. The driveline 443 may include a gearbox, a differential, and a driveshaft. In one embodiment, the transmission system 443 may also include other devices, such as clutches. Wherein the drive shaft may include one or more axles that may be coupled to one or more wheels 444.

Some or all of the functions of the vehicle 400 are controlled by the computing platform 450. The computing platform 450 may include at least one second processor 451, and the second processor 451 may execute instructions 453 stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium, such as a second memory 452. In some embodiments, the computing platform 450 may also be a plurality of computing devices that control individual components or subsystems of the vehicle 400 in a distributed manner.

The second processor 451 may be any conventional processor, such as a commercially available CPU. Alternatively, the second processor 451 may also include, for example, a Graphics Processor Unit (GPU), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a System On Chip (SOC), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), or a combination thereof. Although fig. 4 functionally illustrates a processor, memory, and other elements of a computer in the same block, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the processor, computer, or memory may actually comprise multiple processors, computers, or memories that may or may not be stored within the same physical housing. For example, the memory may be a hard drive or other storage medium located in a different enclosure than the computer. Thus, reference to a processor or computer will be understood to include reference to a collection of processors or computers or memories that may or may not operate in parallel. Rather than using a single processor to perform the steps described herein, some of the components, such as the steering and deceleration components, may each have their own processor that performs only computations related to the component-specific functions.

In the disclosed embodiment, the second processor 451 may perform the above-described steering wheel hands-off detection method.

In various aspects described herein, the second processor 451 can be located remotely from the vehicle and in wireless communication with the vehicle. In other aspects, some of the processes described herein are executed on a processor disposed within the vehicle and others are executed by a remote processor, including taking the steps necessary to perform a single maneuver.

In some embodiments, the second memory 452 may include instructions 453 (e.g., program logic), the instructions 453 being executable by the second processor 451 to perform various functions of the vehicle 400. The second memory 452 may also contain additional instructions, including instructions to send data to, receive data from, interact with, and/or control one or more of the infotainment system 410, the perception system 420, the decision control system 430, the drive system 440.

In addition to instructions 453, the second memory 452 may also store data such as road maps, route information, the position, direction, speed of the vehicle, and other such vehicle data, among other information. Such information may be used by the vehicle 400 and the computing platform 450 during operation of the vehicle 400 in autonomous, semi-autonomous, and/or manual modes.

Computing platform 450 may control the functions of vehicle 400 based on inputs received from various subsystems, such as drive system 440, perception system 420, and decision control system 430. For example, computing platform 450 may utilize input from decision control system 430 in order to control steering system 433 to avoid obstacles detected by sensing system 420. In some embodiments, the computing platform 450 is operable to provide control over many aspects of the vehicle 400 and its subsystems.

Optionally, one or more of these components described above may be mounted or associated separately from the vehicle 400. For example, the second memory 452 may be partially or completely separate from the vehicle 400. The above components may be communicatively coupled together in a wired and/or wireless manner.

Optionally, the above components are only an example, in an actual application, components in the above modules may be added or deleted according to an actual need, and fig. 4 should not be construed as limiting the embodiment of the present disclosure.

An autonomous automobile traveling on a roadway, such as vehicle 400 above, may identify objects within its surrounding environment to determine an adjustment to the current speed. The object may be another vehicle, a traffic control device, or another type of object. In some examples, each identified object may be considered independently, and based on the respective characteristics of the object, such as its current speed, acceleration, separation from the vehicle, etc., may be used to determine the speed at which the autonomous vehicle is to be adjusted.

Optionally, the vehicle 400 or a sensory and computing device (e.g., computing system 431, computing platform 450) associated with the vehicle 400 may predict behavior of the identified object based on characteristics of the identified object and the state of the surrounding environment (e.g., traffic, rain, ice on the road, etc.). Optionally, each identified object depends on the behavior of each other, so it is also possible to predict the behavior of a single identified object taking all identified objects together into account. The vehicle 400 is able to adjust its speed based on the predicted behavior of the identified object. In other words, the autonomous vehicle is able to determine what steady state the vehicle will need to adjust to (e.g., accelerate, decelerate, or stop) based on the predicted behavior of the object. In this process, other factors may also be considered to determine the speed of the vehicle 400, such as the lateral position of the vehicle 400 in the road being traveled, the curvature of the road, the proximity of static and dynamic objects, and so forth.

In addition to providing instructions to adjust the speed of the autonomous vehicle, the computing device may also provide instructions to modify the steering angle of the vehicle 400 to cause the autonomous vehicle to follow a given trajectory and/or maintain a safe lateral and longitudinal distance from objects in the vicinity of the autonomous vehicle (e.g., vehicles in adjacent lanes on the road).

The vehicle 400 may be any type of vehicle, such as a car, a truck, a motorcycle, a bus, a boat, an airplane, a helicopter, a recreational vehicle, a train, etc., and the disclosed embodiment is not particularly limited.

In another exemplary embodiment, a computer program product is also provided, which contains a computer program executable by a programmable apparatus, the computer program having code portions for performing the above-mentioned steering wheel hands-off detection method when executed by the programmable apparatus.

Other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the disclosure following, in general, the principles of the disclosure and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice within the art to which the disclosure pertains. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims.

It will be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the precise arrangements described above and shown in the drawings and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A steering wheel hands-off detection method, the method comprising:

when the capacitance value variation is smaller than a preset capacitance value variation threshold value and the working state of the capacitance sensor is not in an effective state, determining a hands-off detection result according to the working state of the capacitance sensor and the torque value;

when the capacitance value variation is larger than the capacitance value variation threshold, determining that the detection result of the hands-off is holding, and setting the working state of the capacitance sensor to be the effective state;

the working state of the capacitance sensor comprises an unknown state, an effective state and an invalid state, the initial working state of the capacitance sensor is the unknown state, and the determination of the detection result of the hands-off according to the working state of the capacitance sensor and the torque value comprises the following steps:

if the torque value variation satisfies the torque release condition, determining a release detection result according to the working state of the capacitive sensor;

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the hands-off detection based on the operating state of the capacitive sensor comprises:

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the torque value change amount satisfies a predetermined torque release condition comprises:

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

5. A steering wheel hands-off detection device, the device comprising:

a first determining module configured to determine a capacitance value variation according to the capacitance value and a predetermined capacitance reference value;

a second determination module configured to determine a hands-off detection result according to the working state of the capacitive sensor and the torque value when the capacitance value variation is smaller than a predetermined capacitance value variation threshold and the working state of the capacitive sensor is not in an effective state;

a third determination module configured to determine that the detection result of the hands-off is holding and set the working state of the capacitive sensor to the valid state when the capacitance value variation is larger than the capacitance value variation threshold;

the working state of the capacitive sensor comprises an unknown state, an effective state and an invalid state, the initial working state of the capacitive sensor is the unknown state, wherein the second determining module comprises:

a first determination submodule configured to determine a torque value variation amount from the torque value and a predetermined torque reference value;

a first determination submodule configured to determine whether the torque value variation satisfies a predetermined torque release condition;

a second determination submodule configured to determine a hands-off detection result according to an operating state of the capacitive sensor if the torque value change amount satisfies the torque hands-off condition;

a third determining submodule configured to determine that the holding-off detection result is holding if the torque value variation does not satisfy the torque holding-off condition, and set the operating state of the capacitive sensor to the invalid state.

6. A vehicle, characterized by comprising:

a second processor;

a second memory for storing the second processor-executable instructions;

wherein the second processor is configured to:

the steps of carrying out the process of any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. A computer-readable storage medium, on which computer program instructions are stored, which program instructions, when executed by a first processor, carry out the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.