Description:
RELATED ART

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to driver assistance systems in automobiles, and more particularly to a system and a method for overriding unintended acceleration.
[0002] Driver-Assistance Systems (DAS) and Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) have made present day automobiles safer than ever before. However, road safety remains a key area of research and development around the world in view of the significant number of automotive mishaps that still occur despite the availability of DAS and ADAS in modern automobiles. This is because a large number of such mishaps result from driver error, such as driving a vehicle beyond speed limit, sudden braking, reckless overtaking, or plain panic in adverse situations. Generally, such driver errors result from driver inexperience, lack of skill, distraction, drowsiness, tiredness, fatigue, sleepiness, breathlessness, ill-health, panic, anxiety, confusion, or other disturbed or distracted physical or psychological states of the driver.
[0003] For example, when driving distractedly, a driver may fail to keep track of his or her surroundings and suddenly encounter a pedestrian in the path of the vehicle. Such unexpected situations often lead to panic, swerving the steering wheel, and sudden braking to avoid the pedestrian. In such moments of panic, some drivers, whether novice or skilled, may inadvertently depress the accelerator or gas pedal, in addition to the brakes. Such inadvertent or unintended acceleration can result in accidents, endangering the lives of not only the occupants of the vehicle but also nearby automobiles and pedestrians.
[0004] Certain present day automobiles include smart pedals or brake override systems to counter such unintended acceleration, often caused by inadvertent errors originating from the electrical system in the vehicle or human errors such as simultaneously depressing the accelerator and brake pedals. To that end, these conventional systems employ sensors such as accelerator pedal sensors, brake light switch circuitry, and speed sensors to detect when a vehicle may be going out of control, and accordingly actuate the brakes to avoid collision.
[0005] However, these systems can identify unintended acceleration and actuate the brakes only in vehicle models using integrated electronic systems including drive-by-wire mechanisms, and not those models that employ mechanical accelerators. Such conventional systems also fail to identify the acceleration to be unintended if the driver erroneously mixes up the accelerator and brake pedals, pressing them one at a time. Additionally, such conventional override systems are factory-calibrated with universal or predefined thresholds of speed and pressure measured by the associated accelerator pedal sensors, brake sensors, and speed sensors to recognize unintended acceleration. While such conventional systems may be able to identify unintended acceleration of the vehicle when driven by certain types of drivers, these systems fail to adapt to changing drivers and driving conditions.
[0006] Accordingly, there is a need for an adaptive method and system for accurately identifying and overriding unintended acceleration of vehicles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0007] It is an objective of the present disclosure to provide an acceleration override system for a vehicle. The acceleration override system includes a user identification unit that identifies a user driving the vehicle and associated demographic information. An ambient monitoring system in the acceleration override system acquires information related to one or more of a current driving condition of the vehicle. One or more pressure sensors in the acceleration override system measure a steering pressure applied on a steering wheel of the vehicle and an accelerator pressure applied on an accelerator of the vehicle. A calibration subsystem in the acceleration override system configured to determine a first personalized threshold range for the steering pressure and a second personalized threshold range for the accelerator pressure specific to the identified user based on one or more of the demographic information and the current driving condition of the vehicle.
[0008] An electronic control subsystem is communicatively coupled to the one or more pressure sensors and the calibration subsystem and is configured to continuously monitor the steering pressure and the accelerator pressure while the identified user is driving the vehicle. A speed management subsystem is communicatively coupled to the electronic control subsystem and is configured to automatically implement one or more corrective actions when the steering pressure and the accelerator pressure are determined to exceed corresponding upper limits of the first personalized threshold range and the second personalized threshold range, respectively. The corrective actions include one or more of disengaging the accelerator of the vehicle, activating one or more brakes of the vehicle, and controlling the steering wheel of the vehicle to navigate the vehicle to a safe spot.
[0009] The user identification unit includes one or more of an imaging sensor that captures one or more images of the identified user, a weight sensor that determines a weight of the identified user, and a height sensor that identifies a height of the identified user. The user identification unit processes the captured images using one or more image processing techniques to identify one or more of an age, gender, health condition, and ethnicity of the identified user. The ambient monitoring system includes a set of ambient sensors configured to identify a terrain in which the vehicle is currently navigating, a prevailing weather condition, a prevailing traffic condition, a distance to one or more obstacles, and a prevailing health condition of the user. The set of ambient sensors include one or more of a global positioning system that determines a current geographical location of the vehicle, a digital clock that determines a particular time of the day, and an object detection system. The object detection system captures one or more images of one or more of the user and surroundings of the vehicle and determines one or more of associated user, terrain, weather, and obstacle information.
[0010] The acceleration override system includes a health monitoring system that monitors a health condition of the identified user. The health monitoring system processes the captured images using one or more image processing techniques to identify the health condition of the user. The health monitoring system further includes a wearable device that is worn by the user driving the vehicle. The wearable device includes one or more of a temperature sensor, a pulse rate sensor, an electrocardiogram sensor, and an electroencephalography sensor for measuring vital parameters associated with the user. The one or more pressure sensors are coupled to the steering wheel and the accelerator of the vehicle. The electronic control subsystem corresponds to an electronic control unit of the vehicle.
[0011] The object detection system identifies distances between the vehicle and a plurality of obstacles in a navigation path of the vehicle. The object detection system includes one or more of a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) system, a camera system, and an ultrasonic sensor system. The speed management subsystem drives a first actuator to dispose a throttle valve in the vehicle in a closed state when the steering pressure and the accelerator pressure are determined to exceed corresponding upper limits of the first personalized threshold range and the second personalized threshold range, respectively. The throttle valve disposed in the closed state stops a flow of fuel into an engine of the vehicle, which disengages the accelerator of the vehicle. The speed management subsystem further drives a second actuator to dispose a hydraulic brake master cylinder in the vehicle in an actuated state when a distance between the vehicle and at least one of the obstacles is less than a predefined threshold. The hydraulic brake master cylinder disposed in the actuated state allows a flow of brake fluid into a brake caliper of the vehicle, which automatically activates one or more brakes of the vehicle. The acceleration override system is implemented in one or more of a vehicle theft alert management system and a security system in an industrial environment.
[0012] It is another objective of the present disclosure to provide a method for overriding an unintended acceleration of a vehicle. The method includes identifying a user driving the vehicle and associated demographic information by a user identification unit, and acquiring information related to one or more of a current driving condition of the vehicle using an ambient monitoring system. Further, the method includes measuring a steering pressure applied on a steering wheel of the vehicle and an accelerator pressure applied on an accelerator of the vehicle using one or more pressure sensors. Furthermore, the method includes determining a first personalized threshold range for the steering pressure and a second personalized threshold range for the accelerator pressure specific to the identified user by a calibration subsystem based on one or more of the demographic information and the current driving condition of the vehicle. The method further includes continuously monitoring the steering pressure and the accelerator pressure while the user is driving the vehicle by an electronic control subsystem.
[0013] In addition, the method includes automatically implementing one or more corrective actions by a speed management subsystem when the steering pressure and the accelerator pressure are determined to exceed corresponding upper limits of the first personalized threshold range and the second personalized threshold range, respectively. The corrective actions include one or more of disengaging the accelerator of the vehicle, activating one or more brakes of the vehicle, and controlling the steering wheel of the vehicle to navigate the vehicle to a safe spot. The method includes generating demographic profiles for a plurality of users of a plurality of vehicles based on corresponding demographic information of the users, health conditions of the users, steering pressure applied by the users on corresponding steering wheels while driving the vehicles in different driving conditions, and accelerator pressure applied by the users on corresponding accelerators while driving the vehicles in different driving conditions.
[0014] Further, the method includes categorizing the users into a plurality of demographic groups based on one or more of the demographic information and the health conditions of the users. Furthermore, the method includes determining a reference steering pressure threshold range for each group of users categorized in each of the demographic groups based on the steering pressure applied on the corresponding steering wheels by the corresponding group of users. In addition, the method includes determining a reference accelerator pressure threshold range for each group of users categorized in each of the demographic groups based on the accelerator pressure applied on the corresponding accelerators by the corresponding group of users.
[0015] In addition, determining the first personalized threshold range for the steering pressure and the second personalized threshold range for the accelerator pressure includes identifying a demographic group of the identified user from the plurality of demographic groups based on the demographic information of the identified user identified using the user identification unit. The method further includes assigning the reference steering pressure threshold range and the reference accelerator pressure threshold range determined for the identified demographic group as an initial steering pressure threshold range and an initial accelerator pressure threshold range, respectively, for the identified user to identify an initial event indicative of the unintended acceleration of the vehicle.
[0016] Furthermore, the method includes determining a personalized steering pressure range and a personalized accelerator pressure range for the identified user in the current driving condition of the vehicle based on a plurality of steering pressure values and accelerator pressure values applied by the identified user on the steering wheel and the accelerator, respectively, that are measured by the one or more pressure sensors during a designated period of time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the claimed subject matter will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram depicting an exemplary acceleration override system deployed in a vehicle, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary speed management subsystem associated with the acceleration override system of FIG. 1, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;
[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram depicting an exemplary method for calibrating the acceleration override system of FIG. 1 for accurately identifying an unintended acceleration of the vehicle, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; and
[0021] FIGS. 4A-B illustrate a flow diagram depicting an exemplary method for personalizing individualized pressure thresholds for a user by the acceleration override system of FIG. 1 based on real-time monitoring of the user of the vehicle, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following description presents an exemplary system and associated method for overriding unintended acceleration in vehicles. Particularly, embodiments described herein disclose an acceleration override system that adaptively generates individualized threshold ranges for different driving parameters used for identifying scenarios indicative of unintended acceleration of a vehicle. The driving parameters may correspond to one or more adaptive pressure values, for example, determined based on current, projected, and historical values associated with driver-specific information, vehicle-specific information, location-specific information, weather information, and demographic information. When the driving parameters exceed the adaptively-generated individualized threshold ranges, the present acceleration override system activates a speed management subsystem in the vehicle to disengage the accelerator pedal.
[0023] To that end, the present acceleration override system includes a calibration subsystem adapted to monitor pressure exerted by a user operating the vehicle on one or more of a steering wheel, an accelerator, and a specified region of the floor of the vehicle below the accelerator and brake pedals. Particularly, the calibration subsystem monitors the pressure exerted by the user over a predetermined number of driving sessions in a plurality of driving conditions to determine the user's normal driving pattern. The present system, accordingly, sets individualized threshold ranges for the pressure on the steering wheel, the accelerator pedal, and the specified floor region for the specific user in each of the plurality of driving conditions. The present system stores the individualized threshold ranges in a user demographic profile along with other personal information of the user, such as, height, weight, age, sex, ethnicity, vehicle type, and location. The acceleration override system, similarly, enables setting individualized threshold ranges for one or more parameters for a plurality of users who operate the vehicle. By setting individualized threshold ranges for the one or more parameters for different users, the acceleration override system enables accurate identification of unintended accelerations by different drivers even when the drivers have different driving styles in different driving conditions.
[0024] Conventional acceleration override systems generalize thresholds for parameters such as pressure or force applied on a steering wheel or the accelerator pedal. Such generalizations are usually based on tests performed by a skilled test driver when driving a particular vehicle in controlled testing conditions. The conventional systems fail in scenarios, where each driver has peculiar and distinct physical characteristics such as height, gender, build and prevailing health conditions, and different driving patterns or styles when driving in different conditions such as in rain, on highways, in a city, when off-roading, during rush hour traffic, and so on. Under these circumstances, a threshold range for one user may prove to be a false positive or false negative for another user, even when belonging to the same demography. As such, the conventional systems will not be able to distinguish false positives or false negatives from actual event of unintended acceleration. In contrast, the present acceleration override system avoids false positive and false negative detection of unintended acceleration accurately by individualizing ranges of parameters specific to each of the drivers.
[0025] It may be noted that different embodiments of the present acceleration override system may be used in many different application areas or systems. For example, the present system may be used in a vehicle theft alert or vehicle management system. In particular, the present system may be used to identify if a registered user is driving the vehicle and if the various parameters generated by the user while driving the vehicle fall within stored threshold ranges specific to at least one of the registered users. If the current user's parameters are outside the specific threshold ranges defined for any of the registered users, the system may disengage the accelerator pedal, activate the brakes, and send out alerts, for example, to handheld communication devices of one or more registered users notifying the users of the theft. Additionally, the unintended user may be prompted to input a password, his/her demographic information, and/or biometric information, for example, via a vehicle infotainment system. Failure to receive information that matches stored information for any of the registered users may lead to activation of interlock systems that disable operation of the vehicle, or optionally navigate an autonomous vehicle to a safe location.
[0026] In another example, the present system can be also used as a security system in an industrial environment such as a chemical plant, oil and gas plant or similar industries where the workers have to ensure excessive care in handling pieces of various equipment, which might otherwise cause fatal accidents. In this example, the threshold ranges for various parameters such as pressure for operating one or more equipment could be individualized by generating a custom profile of a specific worker by monitoring the worker during a predetermined number of operations in various operating conditions. Such individualized threshold ranges provide sufficient information to an embodiment of the present system used in the plant to determine whether a registered user is operating the equipment, thereby enabling effective identification of any event of unintended exertion of pressure while handling the equipment. The present system may then execute actions to disable operation of the equipment and/or override the unintended pressure being exerted on the equipment.
[0027] Thus, the present acceleration override system can be used in a variety of application areas where individualized threshold values of one or more parameters is more effective over generalized thresholds for identifying and overriding an unintended operation, thereby preventing accidents that may be caused as a result of the unintended operation. However, for clarity, the present acceleration override system will be described herein in greater detail in FIG. 1 with reference to a four-wheeled passenger vehicle operated by a driver.
[0028] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram depicting an exemplary acceleration override system (100) deployed in a vehicle (102). In one embodiment, the acceleration override system (100) identifies if a user inadvertently presses an accelerator (104) of the vehicle (102) in lieu of one or more brakes (106) of the vehicle (102). To that end, the acceleration override system (100) includes a user identification unit (108) that generates a demographic profile of a user, and uses the generated demographic profile to classify the user currently driving the vehicle (102) into a specific demographic group for identifying initial pressure thresholds applicable to the user based on patterns observed in other users in the same demographic group.
[0029] Particularly, in certain embodiments, the user identification unit (108) identifies demographic information including age, gender, ethnicity, height, and weight information specific to the user. To that end, the user identification unit (108) includes, for example, one or more of a scanning system, a human machine interface (HMI), a dashboard-based keypad, a touch input, a bar code reader, a height sensor, a weight sensor, an imaging sensor such as a camera system, and an associated mobile application on a smartphone of the user.
[0030] In one embodiment, for example, the user identification unit (108) includes a scanning system disposed on a dashboard of the vehicle (102). The scanning system includes a slot through which a user may insert his or her driving license for scanning. Alternatively, the scanning system may be implemented using a keypad, a camera system, or an associated mobile application on the smartphone of the user that captures an image and/or an associated bar code included in the driving license. The scanning system processes the captured information to determine personal details such as age, gender, and ethnicity of the user based on date of birth details, the user’s photo, and address, respectively mentioned in the driving license. The scanning system also determines height and weight of the user if associated details are available and included in the driving license information. In case, the height and weight, ethnicity, or any other information of the user is not available in the driving license, the user may manually input the relevant information, for example, using the HMI of the vehicle (102).
[0031] Alternatively, in certain embodiments, the user identification unit (108) includes a set of sensors, for example, an imaging sensor (also referred to hereinbelow as object detection system (120)) positioned within a cabin space in front of a driver seat of the vehicle (102), a weight sensor coupled to the driver seat, and a height sensor coupled to an exterior surface, for example, to a front door of the vehicle (102).
[0032] In one embodiment, the imaging senor captures one or more images of the user sitting in the driver seat and processes the captured images using one or more image processing techniques to determine age, gender, and ethnicity of the user. The weight sensor determines a weight of the user sitting in the driver seat. Examples of the weight sensor that can be used to determine the weight of the user include a load cell, a pressure sensitive resistor, a photoelectric weight sensor, hydraulic weight sensor, capacitive weight sensor, electromagnetic force weight sensor, magnetic pole variation weight sensor, vibrating weight sensor, gyro weight sensor, and resistance strain weight sensor. Similarly, the height sensor determines a height of the user. Examples of the height sensor that can be used to determine the height of the user include a camera, a pyro-electric sensor, a laser-based sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor.
[0033] The user identification unit (108) uses the determined or received user information to automatically generate the specific user demographic profile and stores the generated user demographic profile, for example, in a local registered user database (110). The user identification unit (108) automatically identifies the specific user as a registered driver whenever the user subsequently drives the vehicle (102) based on his or her user demographic profile stored in the local registered user database (110). In certain embodiments, the stored user demographic profiles may be shared periodically, for example, with a remote cloud-based driver management system (Driver DMS) (112) that stores and processes user demographic profiles received from a plurality of vehicles driven in a plurality of conditions around the world.
[0034] To that end, the cloud-based DMS (112) may include an artificial intelligence-based system such as a machine learning or a neural network system. In one embodiment, the DMS (112) classifies a plurality of drivers into different demographic groups based on their personal information, such as, height, weight, age, sex, ethnicity, vehicle type, and location. Additionally, the DMS (112) analyzes patterns related to driving behavior, associated with different drivers having different demographic information, received from a plurality of vehicles driven in a plurality of weather, road, and traffic conditions in different locations around the world. The driver behavior information, for example, may include pressure exerted by different drivers operating their respective vehicle on one or more of a steering wheel, an accelerator, and a specified region of the floor of the vehicle below the accelerator and brake pedals in a plurality of driving conditions.
[0035] The DMS (112) determines reference threshold ranges for each aspect of the driver behavior such as pressure exerted on the steering wheel for each of the demographic groups. The determined reference threshold ranges, for example, are indicative of a measured range of pressure values exerted by drivers from the same demographic group when driving in similar specific conditions such as in rain, in traffic, on freeways, when braking suddenly to avoid an obstacle, and combinations thereof. The present system (100) periodically receives these reference threshold ranges determined by the DMS (112) for each aspect of the driver behavior for drivers belonging to different demographic groups when driving in specific conditions. Subsequently, the present system (100) and uses the reference threshold ranges to initialize the threshold values for the registered users.
[0036] The present acceleration override system (100), accordingly, sets individualized threshold ranges for the pressure on the steering wheel, the accelerator pedal, and the specified floor region for the specific user in each of the plurality of driving conditions based on their corresponding demographic information matching the different demographic groups. The present acceleration override system (100) stores the individualized initial threshold ranges in a user demographic profile along with other personal information of the user, such as, height, weight, age, sex, ethnicity, vehicle type, and location. The acceleration override system (100), similarly, enables setting individualized initial threshold ranges for one or more parameters for a plurality of users who operate the vehicle for aiding in identification of unintended accelerations by different drivers.
[0037] However, as previously noted, while the commonly set thresholds may be useful as initial threshold ranges, they may not always be accurate for individual drivers in the same demographic group. For example, two different users from the same demographic group may differ in their driving behavior such as pressure exerted the accelerator (104) of the vehicle (102) based on a past accident or a medical condition suffered by only one of the drivers. Accordingly, the present acceleration override system (100) is configured to monitor the driving behavior of each user over multiple driving sessions and conditions in order to update the initial threshold ranges to suit the specific current driving style of the user. The multiple driving sessions, for example, may range from the first 15 minutes of driving behavior exhibited by the user post starting the car to driving patterns in different driving conditions monitored over a designated number of days. For example, the acceleration override system (100) may monitor the pressure on the steering wheel, the accelerator pedal, and the specified floor region exerted by the specific user in different driving and ambient conditions including weather, time of day, road, and traffic conditions in different locations over an entire day to specifically calibrate the threshold values for each user. The acceleration override system (100) may continually update these individual threshold values as needed, for example, after a designated number of days, or upon detecting a change in location, weather, terrain, and/or other driving conditions.
[0038] Accordingly, in certain embodiments, the acceleration override system (100) includes an ambient monitoring system (114) that acquires information related to a current driving condition of the vehicle (102). To that end, the ambient monitoring system (114), for example, includes a global position system (GPS) (116) that tracks a location of the vehicle, a digital clock (118) that identifies a time of day, and an object detection system (120) to capture driver, in-vehicle and/or surrounding images.
[0039] In one embodiment, the object detection system (120) is positioned on an exterior surface of the vehicle (102) to capture one or images of the surroundings of the vehicle (102). The ambient monitoring system (114) processes the received images using one or more known image processing techniques to identify prevailing driving conditions, for example, including a terrain in which the vehicle (102) is currently navigating, a prevailing weather condition, and a prevailing traffic condition.
[0040] In certain embodiments, the ambient monitoring system (114) identifies a terrain in which the vehicle (102) is currently navigating using a set of sensors such as one or more of an accelerometer or a gyroscope sensor. The accelerometer and gyroscope sensors may be mounted on to a suspension system of the vehicle (102) to measure a vibration level in the suspension system. The measured vibration level would be generally lesser when the vehicle (102) navigates through a smooth terrain, and would be higher when the vehicle (102) navigates through an off-road terrain, for example, a gravel path. Accordingly, the ambient monitoring system (114) identifies that the vehicle (102) is currently navigating through a smooth terrain when the vibration level in the suspension system is less than a designated vibration threshold. Alternatively, the ambient monitoring system (114) identifies that the vehicle (102) is currently navigating through an off-road terrain when the vibration level in the suspension system is greater than the designated vibration threshold.
[0041] In certain embodiments, the ambient monitoring system (114) is operatively coupled to a traction control system of the vehicle (102) that identifies if wheels of the vehicle (102) are slipping when the vehicle (102) is navigating through a particular terrain. If wheels of the vehicle (102) are identified to be slipping when the vehicle (102) is navigating through the particular terrain, the traction control system identifies the particular terrain as a slippery terrain and accordingly transmits a message to the ambient monitoring system (114). Examples of different types of terrains identified by the ambient monitoring system (114) include a hilly terrain, a desert terrain, a plain terrain, an off-road terrain, and a slippery terrain.
[0042] Similarly, the ambient monitoring system (114) may identify weather and traffic conditions based on the captured images, and/or other sensors such as a temperature, moisture sensor or a radar sensor deployed within the vehicle (102). Examples of the prevailing weather condition identified by the ambient monitoring system (114) include rain, snow fall, sunny, windy, and a heavy fog condition. Examples of the prevailing traffic condition identified by the ambient monitoring system (114) include light traffic, moderate traffic, and heavy traffic conditions.
[0043] In certain embodiments, the acceleration override system (100) further includes a health monitoring system (122) that continuously monitors a health condition of the user driving the vehicle (102). Specifically, the health monitoring system (122) receives and processes images of the user driving the vehicle (102) captured by the imaging sensor (120) to determine abnormal driver behavior such as driver fatigue or if the user is experiencing a heart attack. In certain embodiments, the health monitoring system (122) is communicatively coupled to a wearable device (124) such as an ECG sensor to identify if the user is experiencing a heart attack. Similarly, the wearable device (124) may include other sensors such as a temperature sensor, a pulse rate sensor, and/or an electroencephalography (EEG) sensor that capture body temperature, blood pressure, and EEG signal, respectively associated with the user.
[0044] Generally, the user driving the vehicle (102) applies different amounts of pressure on a steering wheel (126) and the accelerator (104) of the vehicle (102) depending on individual driving styles, current driving conditions, and a health condition of the user. For example, the user may hold the steering wheel (126) of the vehicle (102) firmly and apply significant pressure on the steering wheel (126) when the vehicle (102) navigates through an off-road or gravel path or during a potential collision. In another example, the user may hold the steering wheel (126) loosely and apply only a limited pressure on the steering wheel (126) when the vehicle (102) navigates though a smooth road.
[0045] Accordingly, the acceleration override system (100) includes one or more pressure sensors (128) to determine the pressure applied by each specific user on different designated regions of the vehicle (102). In one embodiment, the one or more pressure sensors (128) are disposed on the steering wheel (126) of the vehicle (102) where the user usually rests his or her palm to hold onto the steering wheel (126). The one or more pressure sensors (128) continuously measure a steering pressure applied by the user on the steering wheel (126) of the vehicle (102) while driving the vehicle (102).
[0046] In certain embodiments, the one or more pressure sensors (128) are disposed over an accelerator (104) of the vehicle (102). The one or more pressure sensors (128) continuously measure an accelerator pressure applied by the user on the accelerator (104) of the vehicle (102) while driving the vehicle (102). In certain other embodiments, the one or more pressure sensors (128) are coupled to one or more brakes (106) of the vehicle (100) to continuously measure a brake pressure applied by the user on the one or more brakes (106) while driving the vehicle (102). Examples of the one or more pressure sensors (128) include a piezoelectric sensor, a potentiometric pressure sensor, an inductive pressure sensor, a capacitive pressure sensor, a strain gauge sensor, and a variable reluctance pressure sensor.
[0047] In one embodiment, the one or more pressure sensors (128) continuously transmit pressure information, including the steering pressure applied on the steering wheel (126), the accelerator pressure applied on the accelerator (104), and the brake pressure applied on the brakes (106) to an electronic control subsystem (130) such as a vehicle ECU via a communications link (132). Examples of the communications link (132) include a controlled area network (CAN) bus, a FlexRay, an Ethernet, and a local interconnect network (LIN).
[0048] In one embodiment, the electronic control subsystem (130) receives data from the one or more pressure sensors (128) and continuously monitors if the steering pressure applied on the steering wheel (126) exceeds a steering pressure threshold range that is individualized for the user by a calibration subsystem (134). Similarly, the electronic control subsystem (130) continuously receives data from the one or more pressure sensors (128) and monitors if the accelerator pressure applied on the accelerator (104) exceeds an accelerator pressure threshold range, and a brake pressure applied on the brakes (106) exceeds a brake pressure threshold range that are individualized for the user by the calibration subsystem (134).
[0049] In certain embodiments, the calibration subsystem (134) customizes the individualized steering pressure threshold range, the accelerator pressure threshold range, and the brake pressure threshold range for each user based on the demographic information of the user, the current driving condition, the current health condition of the user, and learnings from driving patterns of the user. Customization of individual pressure threshold ranges for each user by the calibration subsystem (134) is described subsequently in greater detail with reference to FIG. 4. Further, the calibration subsystem (134) provides the individualized steering and accelerator pressure threshold ranges as inputs to the electronic control subsystem (130) for enabling the electronic control subsystem (130) to compare the individualized steering, brake, and accelerator pressure threshold ranges with the pressure applied by the user on one or more of the steering wheel (126), the brake (106), and the accelerator (104), respectively, while driving the vehicle (102).
[0050] For example, the calibration subsystem (134) may determine that a specific Asian male user having lean body mass and medium height may typically apply a pressure amounting to 25 kilopascal (kPa) on the steering wheel (126) and 15 kPa on the accelerator (104) when driving on smooth surfaces such as freeways. However, when driving over hilly terrain, the calibration subsystem (134) determines that the same male user typically applies pressure of 40 kPa on the steering wheel (126) and a pressure of 16 kPa on the accelerator (104). Accordingly, the calibration subsystem (134), for example, may set a first individualized steering pressure threshold for the male user as 30 kPa and a first accelerator pressure threshold as 20 kPa when the vehicle (102) is determined to be driven on smooth surfaces. Additionally, the calibration subsystem (134), for example, may set a second individualized steering pressure threshold for the male user as 45 kPa and a second accelerator pressure threshold as 20 kPa when driving on hilly terrain.
[0051] Similarly, the calibration subsystem (134) may monitor the driving patterns of a tall, European female user, for example, over a period of 10 days and set individualized steering and accelerator pressure thresholds, that are different from the Asian male user. Specifically, the calibration subsystem (134) may set the individualized steering and accelerator pressure thresholds based on the typical pressure values applied by the female user when driving in different driving conditions. Thus, the individualized pressure threshold values tailored by the calibration subsystem (134) for specific users in specific driving conditions provide a more accurate indication of unintended acceleration scenarios to the electronic control subsystem (140) when compared to conventional override systems that are factory-calibrated with universal or predefined thresholds of speed and pressure and that fail to adapt to changing drivers and driving conditions.
[0052] In certain embodiments, the electronic control subsystem (130) determines that the user has inadvertently pressed the accelerator (104) in lieu of the brake (106) of the vehicle (102), for example, when the steering pressure applied by the user on the steering wheel (126) is greater than the steering pressure threshold range and/or the accelerator pressure applied by the user on the accelerator (104) is greater than the accelerator pressure threshold range when the vehicle (102) is in motion. In certain embodiments, the electronic control subsystem (130) also determines that the user has inadvertently pressed the accelerator (104) in lieu of the brake (106) when the brake pressure applied by the user on the brakes (106) is less than the brake pressure threshold range. The electronic control subsystem (130) accordingly queries the object detection system (120) for inputs including distances to various stationary and dynamic objects in the surroundings of the vehicle (102) to determine a possibility of an imminent collision. Examples of the object detection system (120) include a LIDAR system, a RADAR system, a camera system, and an ultrasonic sensor system. Subsequently, the electronic control subsystem (130) transmits a control message to a speed management subsystem (136) in the acceleration override system (100) to initiate one or more collision mitigation actions on an urgent basis.
[0053] In one embodiment, the collision mitigation actions, for example, may include the speed management subsystem (136) automatically activating the brakes (106) and/or disengaging the accelerator (104) of the vehicle (102) in order to avoid any potential collisions due to the unintended acceleration, as described subsequently with reference to FIG. 2. It may be noted that the speed management subsystem (136), electronic control subsystem (130), calibration subsystem (134), object detection system (120), user identification unit (108), ambient monitoring system (114), and health monitoring system (122) may be operatively coupled to each other and may be implemented by suitable code on a processor-based system, such as a general-purpose or a special-purpose computer. Furthermore, the speed management subsystem (136), electronic control subsystem (130), calibration subsystem (134), object detection system (120), user identification unit (108), ambient monitoring system (114), and health monitoring system (122), for example, may include one or more general-purpose processors, specialized processors, graphical processing units, microprocessors, programming logic arrays, field programming gate arrays, integrated circuits, systems on chips, and/or other suitable computing devices.
[0054] An embodiment describing certain exemplary mechanisms by which the speed management subsystem (136) disengages the accelerator (104) and activates the brake (106) of the vehicle automatically in the event of an unintended acceleration of the vehicle (102) is described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 2.
[0055] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the speed management subsystem (136) associated with the acceleration override system (100) of FIG. 1 that is configured to safely decelerate and stop the vehicle (102) upon identifying unintended acceleration of the vehicle (102). As noted previously, the speed management subsystem (136) receives a control message from the electronic control subsystem (130) when the user inadvertently presses the accelerator (104) in lieu of the brake (106) of the vehicle (102). The control message, for example, includes one or more inputs including a current speed of the vehicle (102), a direction of navigation of the vehicle, distances to various stationary and dynamic objects in the surroundings of the vehicle (102), and a corresponding correction in speed needed over a designated time to prevent any potential collisions with the objects in the path of the vehicle (102). Upon receiving the control message, in one embodiment, the speed management subsystem (136) drives a first actuator (202) to switch a throttle valve (204) in the vehicle (102) to a closed state. In one embodiment, the first actuator (202) is located in the vehicle (102) between the accelerator (104) and the throttle valve (204). Further, the first actuator (202) is operatively and/or communicatively to the throttle valve (204) and the electronic control subsystem (130) in the vehicle (102). In certain embodiments, switching the throttle valve (204) to the closed state reduces a flow of fuel into an engine (206) of the vehicle (102), which in turn, disengages the accelerator (104) of the vehicle (102) to stop the vehicle (102) at a safe location, for example, identified based on the images captured by the object detection system (120).
[0056] In addition, the speed management subsystem (136) may automatically activate the brakes (106) of the vehicle (102) by driving a second actuator (208) in the vehicle (102) to actuate a hydraulic brake master cylinder (210), which is generally located beneath a brake fluid reservoir under a bonnet of the vehicle (102). In one embodiment, the second actuator (208) is located in the vehicle (102) between the brakes (106) and the hydraulic brake master cylinder (210). Further, the second actuator (208) is operatively and/or communicatively coupled to the hydraulic brake master cylinder (210) and the electronic control subsystem (130) in the vehicle (102). Further, the hydraulic brake master cylinder (210) is operatively and/or communicatively coupled to the electronic control subsystem (130) and a brake caliper (212) in the vehicle (102). In certain embodiments, actuating the hydraulic brake master cylinder (210) allows the flow of brake fluid into the brake caliper (212) of the vehicle (102), thereby activating the brake (106), which causes the vehicle (102) to stop when the acceleration override system (100) determines a scenario of unintended acceleration. An exemplary method for accurately identifying an unintended acceleration of the vehicle (102) using the acceleration override system (100) of FIG. 1 is described in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4A-B.
[0057] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram (300) depicting an exemplary method for calibrating the acceleration override system (100) of FIG. 1 for accurately identifying an unintended acceleration of the vehicle (102). The order in which the exemplary method is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described blocks may be combined in any order to implement the exemplary method disclosed herein, or an equivalent alternative method. Additionally, certain blocks may be deleted from the exemplary method or augmented by additional blocks with added functionality without departing from the claimed scope of the subject matter described herein.
[0058] At step (302), the user identification unit (108) in the vehicle (102) is used to register a user of the vehicle (102). At step (304), the user identification unit (108) in different vehicles generates demographic profiles for different drivers or users of those vehicles. For example, the user identification unit (108) in the vehicle (102) identifies demographic information including age, gender, ethnicity, height, and weight information specific to the user. The user identification unit (108) uses the identified user demographic information to automatically generate the specific user demographic profile and stores the generated user demographic profile, for example, in the local registered user database (110). In certain embodiments, the user identification unit (108) generates the user demographic profile by correlating personal user information with driving patterns exhibited by the user in different ambient and health conditions. To that end, the user identification unit (108) receives data acquired by the ambient monitoring system (114), the health monitoring system (122), and the one or more pressure sensors (128). For example, the user identification unit (108) receives data including terrain, prevailing weather conditions, prevailing traffic conditions, particular time of the day, and geographical location of the vehicle (102) from the ambient monitoring system (114). Further, the user identification unit (108) receives monitored health data from the health monitoring system (122) and pressure applied by the user on the steering wheel (126) and accelerator (104) while driving the vehicle (102) in different driving conditions from the pressure sensors (128).
[0059] The user identification unit (108) then correlates and stores the identified user demographic information with the ambient information, the health information and measures pressure values as the specific user demographic profile in the local registered user database (110). Table 1, for example, depicts the stored correlations corresponding to specific user demographic profiles generated for a plurality of drivers identified by the user identification unit (108).

[0060] Table 1 – Stored User Demographic Information

User Information User 1 User 2 User 1 User 2 User 3 User 4 User 5
Age 25 35 25 35 36 45 50
Gender Female Female Female Female Female Female Male
Ethnicity European SE Asian European SE Asian East Asian East Asian South Asian
Weight 50 Kg 60 Kg 50 Kg 60 Kg 66 Kg 80 Kg 70 Kg
Height 5.5 Feet 5.7 Feet 5.5 Feet 5.7 Feet 5.8 Feet 6 Feet 5.9 Feet
Health Normal Normal Normal Normal High BP Low BP Fit
Terrain Plain Plain Hill Hill Plain Plain Plain
Weather Sunny Sunny Raining Raining Sunny Sunny Sunny
Traffic High High Low Low High High High
Time 11 AM 12 PM 4 PM 5 PM 9 AM 1 PM 11 AM
Location 54° N, 15° E 3° N, 99° E 45° N, 15° E 41° N, 12° E 38° N, 106° E 39° N, 107° E 25° N, 76° E
Steering Pressure 24-28 kPa 26-32 kPa 48-53 kPa 52-57 kPa 34-38 kPa 36-46 kPa 40-45 kPa
Accelerator Pressure 10-12 kPa 14-16 kPa 6-8 kPa 10-12 kPa 15-19 kPa 17-21 kPa 15-20 kPa

[0061] At step (306), the calibration subsystem (134) categorizes the users into different demographic groups. For example, a predefined rule defines categorizing users, whose age is in the range of 25-35, gender is female, ethnicity is Southeast Asian, weight is in the range of 50-60 kilograms (Kg), height is in the range of 5.5-5.7 feet, and health condition is normal, into a demographic group 1. Accordingly, the calibration subsystem (134) categorizes the users 1 and 2 listed in Table 1, for example, into a first demographic group 1.
[0062] Subsequently, at step (308), the user identification unit (108) shares the demographic group information with the calibration subsystem (134) for identifying initial pressure thresholds applicable to each user based on patterns observed in other users in the same demographic group. In one embodiment, the calibration subsystem (134) sets the initial pressure thresholds applicable to each user based on one or more reference pressure threshold ranges received from the DMS (112). As previously noted, the determined reference threshold ranges, for example, are indicative of a measured range of pressure values exerted by drivers from the same demographic group when driving in similar specific conditions such as in rain, in traffic, on freeways, when braking suddenly to avoid an obstacle, and combinations thereof.
[0063] In one embodiment, for example, the DMS (112) identifies that users 1 and 2 belonging to a demographic Group 1 applied 24-28 kPa and 26-32 Kpa of pressure, respectively, on their steering wheels while driving their vehicles in a first driving condition. In this example, the DMS (112) determines the average steering wheel pressure for the Group 1 as 25-30 kPa by averaging minimum pressures “24” and “26”, and maximum pressures “28” and “32” applied by the users 1 and 2, respectively. The DMS (112) similarly determines an average accelerator pressure for the Group 1 for the first driving condition. For example, as shown in Table 1, the DMS (112) identifies that the user 1 applied 10-12 kPa of pressure and the user 2 applied 14-16 kPa of pressure on their accelerators while driving their vehicles in the first driving condition. In this example, the DMS (112) determines the average accelerator pressure for Group 1 for the first driving condition as 12-14 kPa.
[0064] Likewise, the DMS (112) determines an average steering wheel pressure for Group 1 for the second driving condition as 50-55 kPa based on exemplary pressures of 48-53 kPa and 52-57 kPa applied by the users 1 and 2 on steering wheels in the second driving condition. Further, the DMS (112) determines an average accelerator pressure for Group 1 for the second driving condition as 8-10 kPa based on exemplary pressures of 6-8 kPa and 10-12 kPa applied by the users 1 and 2 on accelerators in the second driving condition.
[0065] Further, the DMS (112) determines an average steering wheel pressure and an average accelerator pressure for a demographic Groups 2 and 3 for the first driving condition 1. In one embodiment, the DMS (112) may classify the users 3 and 4 into Group 2, and the user 5 into Group 3 based on the predefined rules. Furthermore, the DMS (112) determines an average steering wheel pressure and an average accelerator pressure for a demographic Group 2 for the first driving condition 1 as 35-42 kPa and 16-20 kPa, respectively. In addition, the DMS (112) determines an average steering wheel pressure and an average accelerator pressure for Group 3 for the first driving condition 1 as 40-45 kPa and 15-20 kPa, respectively.
[0066] Table 2, for example, depicts exemplary demographic groups determined for a plurality of drivers identified by the user identification unit (108) and corresponding average pressure thresholds computed for each group of users by the DMS (112).

[0067] Table 2 – User Demographic Groups and Average Pressure Thresholds

Driving Condition 1 Driving Condition 2

Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 1
User 1 User 2 User 3 User 4 User 5 User 1 User 2
Age 25-35 36-45 50 25-35
Gender Female Female Male Female
Ethnicity SE Asia East Asia South Asia SE Asia
Weight 50-60 Kg 66-80 Kg 70 Kg 50-60 Kg
Height 5.5-5.7 Feet 5.8-6 Feet 5.9 Feet 5.5-5.7 Feet
Health Normal Abnormal BP Fit Normal
Terrain Plain Plain Plain Hill
Weather Sunny Sunny Sunny Raining
Traffic High High High Low
Time 11 AM-12 PM 9 AM -1 PM 11 AM 4 PM-5 PM
Location 54° N, 15° E 38° N, 106° E 25° N, 76° E 45° N, 15° E
Average Steering Pressure 25-30 kPa 35-42 kPa 40-45 kPa 50-55 kPa
Average Accelerator Pressure 12-14 kPa 16-20 kPa 15-20 kPa 8-10 kPa

[0068] Additionally, in certain embodiments, the DMS (112) may further interpolate the reference pressure thresholds for many different users who may be operating in different conditions and different vehicles by processing data received from similar vehicles and drivers and conditions using machine learning. The DMS (112) may periodically retrain the associated machine learning system to update the reference thresholds based on new information continually being received from different vehicles and drivers around the world. The DMS (112) may periodically share the updated reference pressure thresholds and associated demographic information to the calibration subsystem (134) in the vehicle (102) for setting up the initial pressure thresholds. The calibration subsystem (134) may use these initial pressure thresholds for identifying potential events indicating an unintended acceleration of the vehicle (102) during an initial driving period, for example, when the vehicle is started, the first 15 minutes of driving, or during the first day of driving by a particular user.
[0069] Subsequently, at step (310), the calibration subsystem (134) may update the initial pressure thresholds to more accurate personalized pressure thresholds for the user by continually monitoring driving patterns associated with the user in real time in different driving conditions. An exemplary method for generating more accurate personalized pressure thresholds for the user by continually monitoring driving patterns associated with the user in real time is described in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 4A-B.
[0070] FIGS. 4A-B illustrate a flow diagram (400) depicting an exemplary method for personalizing the individual pressure thresholds for each user by the calibration subsystem (134) based on real-time monitoring of the user of the vehicle (102), as described with reference to step 310 of FIG. 3. In particular, at step (402), the health monitoring system (122) monitors a health condition of the identified user currently driving the vehicle (102) and associated with an identified demographic group. As noted previously, the health monitoring system (122) may include the imaging sensor and/or the wearable device (124) using which the health monitoring system (122) identifies the health condition of the identified user as normal or having one or more specific health complications.
[0071] Further, at step (404), the ambient monitoring system (114) identifies a current driving condition of the vehicle (102). As noted previously, in certain embodiments, the ambient monitoring system (114) includes the GPS (116) and digital clock (118), that enable identification of a location, terrain, a prevailing weather condition, a time of operation, and a prevailing traffic condition that are used to determine the current driving condition of the vehicle (102). An exemplary driving condition identified by the ambient monitoring system (114) may include the vehicle (102) navigating through a plain terrain, a prevailing weather condition being sunny, a prevailing traffic condition being high traffic, a current time of the day being 11 AM, and a geographical location of the vehicle (102) being Colaba area in south Mumbai.
[0072] At step (406), the calibration subsystem (134) assigns reference pressure thresholds received from the DMS (112) for the identified demographic group of the identified user as the initial pressure thresholds for the identified user to identify any initial events indicative of unintended acceleration of the vehicle (102). For example, upon determining the identified user to belong to Group 1 operating the vehicle (102) in driving condition 1, the calibration subsystem (134) determines that the pressure expected to be applied by the identified user on the steering wheel (126) of the vehicle (102) is 25-30 kPa and the pressure expected to be applied by the identified user on the accelerator (104) of the vehicle (102) is 12-14 kPa. Alternatively, upon determining the identified user to belong to Group 1 operating the vehicle (102) in driving condition 2, the calibration subsystem (134) determines that the pressure expected to be applied by the identified user on the steering wheel (126) of the vehicle (102) is 50-55 kPa and the pressure expected to be applied by the identified user on the accelerator (104) of the vehicle (102) is 8-10 kPa.
[0073] Subsequently, at step (408), the calibration subsystem (134) determines personalized pressure threshold values for the identified user operating the vehicle (102) in the identified driving condition based on a plurality of pressure values measured by the pressure sensors during a designated period of time. To that end, in one embodiment, the calibration subsystem (134) configures the pressure sensors (128) to monitor a steering pressure applied by the identified user on the steering wheel (126), to monitor an accelerator pressure applied by the identified user on the accelerator (104), and a brake pressure applied by the identified user on the brakes (106). In particular, the steering pressure, the accelerator pressure, and the brake pressure are monitored while driving the vehicle (102) in a particular driving condition, for example driving condition 1, for a designated period of time, for example during the first 60 minutes of driving the vehicle (102). In one embodiment, the calibration subsystem (134) computes an average of the steering pressure, an average of the accelerator pressure, and an average of the brake pressure values measured at different instants during the designated period of time.
[0074] For example, in one scenario, the calibration subsystem (134) determines the personalized steering pressure threshold range specific to the identified user to be 25-30 kPa based on an average of the steering pressure values measured by the pressure sensors (128) during the designated period of time. However, in another scenario, the calibration subsystem (134) computes that the average of the steering pressure applied by the identified user on the steering wheel (126) is 40-50 kPa, which is different from corresponding initial pressure threshold of 25-30 kPa initially assigned to the identified user for the driving condition 1. In this example, the calibration subsystem (134) determines the personalized steering pressure threshold specific to the identified user as 40-50 kPa. The calibration subsystem (134) subsequently shares the personalized steering pressure threshold specific to the identified user with the electronic control subsystem (130). Similarly, the calibration subsystem (134) determines the personalized accelerator pressure threshold specific to the identified user as 25-28 kPa based on the average of the pressure values measured by the pressure sensors (128) during the designated period of time and shares the determined threshold with the electronic control subsystem (130). In certain embodiments, the calibration subsystem (134) periodically updates the personalized pressure threshold values for the identified user upon determining a change in terrain, location, weather, health condition, or passage of a predefined period of time, thus accounting for factors that may result in a change in the driving patterns of the identified user. Subsequently, the calibration subsystem (134) shares the updated personalized pressure threshold values for the identified user with the electronic control subsystem (130).
[0075] At step (410), the electronic control subsystem (130) determines a scenario of unintended acceleration when the pressure applied by the identified user on the steering wheel (126) and accelerator (104) exceed the personalized steering pressure threshold and the personalized accelerator pressure threshold defined for the identified user for the prevailing driving condition. To that end, the electronic control subsystem (130) configures the pressure sensors (128) to continually monitor the prevailing driving conditions and measure the corresponding pressure applied by the identified user on the steering wheel (126) and the accelerator (104) post the designated period of time while operating the vehicle (102).
[0076] In one embodiment, the electronic control subsystem (130) identifies a scenario of unintended acceleration and associated corrective actions when the pressure applied by the identified user on the steering wheel (126) and accelerator (104) exceeds the personalized steering pressure threshold and the personalized accelerator pressure threshold. For example, the electronic control subsystem (130) identifies a scenario of unintended acceleration when the corresponding pressure applied by the identified user on the steering wheel (126) and the accelerator (104) is greater than the personalized steering pressure threshold of 40-50 kPa and the personalized accelerator pressure threshold of 25-28 kPa, respectively.
[0077] In certain embodiments, the electronic control subsystem (130) identifies a scenario of unintended acceleration based on a brake pressure applied by the user on the one or more brakes (106) of the vehicle (102) while driving the vehicle (102). To that end, during an initial calibration of the acceleration override system (100), the DMS (112) receives pressure values applied on brakes in different vehicles by different users around the world. The DMS (112) then categorizes the users into different demographic groups, as noted previously with reference to FIG. 3 and determines a reference brake pressure for each demographic group for each of different driving conditions. For example, the DMS (112) determines that the reference brake pressure for the first demographic Group 1 for the first driving condition 1 is 30-35 kPa. Further, the DMS (112) determines that the reference brake pressure is 50-55 kPa for the second demographic Group 2 for the first driving condition 1, 60-65 kPa for the third demographic Group 3 for the first driving condition 1, and 45-50 kPa for the first demographic Group 1 for the second driving condition 2. In real-time, upon determining that the user of the vehicle (102) belongs to the first demographic Group 1, second demographic Group 2, or third demographic Group 3 and drives the vehicle (102) in the first driving condition 1, the calibration subsystem (134) assigns the reference brake pressure of 30-35 kPa, 50-55 kPa, and 60-65 kPa, respectively as an initial brake pressure threshold value. Similarly, upon determining that the user of the vehicle (102) belongs to the first demographic Group 1 and drives the vehicle (102) in the second driving condition 2, the calibration subsystem (134) assigns the reference brake pressure of 45-50 kPa as an initial brake pressure threshold value. Further, the calibration subsystem (134) determines that average of the pressure applied on the brakes (106) by the user during one or more instances of potential collision scenarios involving the vehicle (102) in the first driving condition is 50-65 kPa. Subsequently, when there is a potential for an imminent collision while the driver is driving the vehicle (102) in real-time, the electronic control subsystem (130) identifies a scenario of unintended acceleration upon identifying that the user does not apply any pressure on the brakes (106) and instead there is a sudden increase in the pressure applied on the accelerator (104).
[0078] Additionally, at step (412), the electronic control subsystem (130) identifies one or more necessary corrective actions to mitigate a potential collision resulting from the unintended acceleration. To that end, in certain embodiments, the electronic control subsystem (130) receives inputs from the object detection system (120), including distances to various stationary and dynamic obstacles in the navigation path of the vehicle (102) to determine a possibility of an imminent collision. Subsequently, the electronic control subsystem (130) determines the necessary corrective actions to mitigate potential collisions. In one embodiment, the corrective actions include automatically controlling the accelerator (104) and/or the brakes (106) of the vehicle (102), for example, to control a speed and a navigation path of the vehicle (102).
[0079] At step (414), the speed management subsystem (136) automatically implements the identified corrective actions. In one embodiment, the corrective actions include disengaging the accelerator (104) of the vehicle (102). In another embodiment, the corrective actions include automatically activating the brakes (106) of the vehicle (102) when the vehicle (102) is travelling at a particular speed and a distance between the vehicle (102) and at least one obstacle in a navigation path of the vehicle (102) is less than a predefined threshold. In yet another embodiment, the corrective actions include automatically controlling the steering wheel (126) of the vehicle (102) to navigate the vehicle (102) to a safe spot.
[0080] The present acceleration override system (100), thus, provides a highly efficient and intelligent system (100) to accurately identify and automatically override unintended acceleration based on personalized pressure thresholds determined for different users in different driving conditions. Personalization of pressure thresholds enables the present acceleration override system (100) to account for variation in driving patterns of drivers who may differ in driving behavior in different driving conditions, but are often classified by conventional acceleration override system under the same demographic group based on physical, age or racial characteristics.
[0081] For example, conventional acceleration override systems determine and use generalized pressure thresholds based on tests performed by a test driver when driving a particular vehicle in controlled testing conditions. Such conventional systems fail in scenarios where there each driver could have different driving patterns or styles when driving in different conditions such as in rain, on highways, in a city, when off-roading, during rush hour traffic, in a particular country, when feeling unwell, and so on. It is often seen that the same drivers may drive differently at different times, under different driving and health conditions, and consequently, a threshold range determined for one user may be a false positive for another user, even when belonging to the same demography.
[0082] Unlike such conventional acceleration override system systems that often fail to distinguish false positives and false negatives from actual events of unintended acceleration, the present acceleration override system (100) accurately identifies events of unintended acceleration based on a continual monitoring and personalization of measured pressure threshold values for each user. Additionally, the present acceleration override system (100) uses sophisticated learning systems to intelligently adapt to changing driving patterns of different drivers in different conditions to accurately identify unintended acceleration and automatically mitigate resulting collisions in a timely manner to protect the life and safety of people within and in the vicinity of a vehicle.
[0083] Although specific features of various embodiments of the present systems and methods may be shown in and/or described with respect to some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only. It is to be understood that the described features, structures, and/or characteristics may be combined and/or used interchangeably in any suitable manner in the various embodiments shown in the different figures.
[0084] While only certain features of the present systems and methods have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the claimed scope of the invention.

LIST OF NUMERAL REFERENCES:

100 Acceleration override system
102 Vehicle
104 Accelerator
106 Brakes
108 User identification unit
110 Local registered user database
112 Cloud-based driver management system
114 Ambient monitoring system
116 GPS
118 Digital clock
120 Object detection system, Imaging Sensor
122 Health monitoring system
124 Wearable device
126 Steering wheel
128 One or more pressure sensors
130 Electronic control subsystem
132 Communications link
134 Calibration subsystem
136 Speed management subsystem
202, 208 Actuator
204 Throttle valve
206 Engine
210 Hydraulic brake master cylinder
212 Brake caliper
300-310 Steps of a method for calibrating an acceleration override system
400-414 Steps of a method for personalizing individualized pressure thresholds for a user by the acceleration override system

, Claims:We claim:

1. An acceleration override system (100) for a vehicle (102), comprising:
a user identification unit (108) that identifies a user driving the vehicle (102) and associated demographic information;
an ambient monitoring system (114) that acquires information related to one or more of a current driving condition of the vehicle (102);
one or more pressure sensors (128) for measuring a steering pressure applied on a steering wheel (126) of the vehicle (102) and an accelerator pressure applied on an accelerator (104) of the vehicle (102);
a calibration subsystem (134) configured to determine a first personalized threshold range for the steering pressure and a second personalized threshold range for the accelerator pressure specific to the identified user based on one or more of the demographic information and the current driving condition of the vehicle (102);
an electronic control subsystem (130), communicatively coupled to the one ore more pressure sensors (128) and the calibration subsystem (134), and configured to continuously monitor the steering pressure and the accelerator pressure while the identified user is driving the vehicle (102); and
a speed management subsystem (136), communicatively coupled to the electronic control subsystem (130), and configured to automatically implement one or more corrective actions when the steering pressure and the accelerator pressure are determined to exceed corresponding upper limits of the first personalized threshold range and the second personalized threshold range, respectively, wherein the corrective actions comprise one or more of disengaging the accelerator (104) of the vehicle (102), activating one or more brakes (106) of the vehicle (102), and controlling the steering wheel (126) of the vehicle (102) to navigate the vehicle (102) to a safe spot.

2. The acceleration override system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user identification unit (108) comprises one or more of an imaging sensor (120) that captures one or more images of the identified user, a weight sensor that determines a weight of the identified user, and a height sensor that identifies a height of the identified user, wherein the user identification unit (108) processes the captured images using one or more image processing techniques to identify one or more of an age, gender, health condition, and ethnicity of the identified user.

3. The acceleration override system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ambient monitoring system (114) comprises a set of ambient sensors (116, 118, 120) configured to identify a terrain in which the vehicle (102) is currently navigating, a prevailing weather condition, a prevailing traffic condition, a distance to one or more obstacles, and a prevailing health condition of the user, the set of ambient sensors (116, 118, 120) comprising one or more of:
a global positioning system (116) that determines a current geographical location of the vehicle (102);
a digital clock (118) that determines a particular time of the day; and
an object detection system (120) that captures one or more images of one or more of the user and surroundings of the vehicle (102) and determines one or more of associated user, terrain, weather, and obstacle information.

4. The acceleration override system (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the acceleration override system (100) comprises a health monitoring system (122) that monitors a health condition of the identified user, wherein the health monitoring system (122) processes the captured images using one or more image processing techniques to identify the health condition of the user, wherein the health monitoring system (122) further comprises a wearable device (124) that is worn by the user driving the vehicle (102), wherein the wearable device (124) comprises one or more of a temperature sensor, a pulse rate sensor, an electrocardiogram sensor, and an electroencephalography sensor for measuring vital parameters associated with the user.

5. The acceleration override system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more pressure sensors (128) are coupled to the steering wheel (126) and the accelerator (104) of the vehicle (102), and wherein the electronic control subsystem (130) corresponds to an electronic control unit of the vehicle (102).

6. The acceleration override system (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the object detection system (120) identifies distances between the vehicle (102) and a plurality of obstacles in a navigation path of the vehicle (102), and wherein the object detection system (120) comprises one or more of a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) system, a camera system, and an ultrasonic sensor system.

7. The acceleration override system (100) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the speed management subsystem (136):
drives a first actuator (202) to dispose a throttle valve (204) in the vehicle (102) in a closed state when the steering pressure and the accelerator pressure are determined to exceed corresponding upper limits of the first personalized threshold range and the second personalized threshold range, respectively, wherein the throttle valve (204) disposed in the closed state stops a flow of fuel into an engine of the vehicle (102), which disengages the accelerator (104) of the vehicle (102); and
drives a second actuator (208) to dispose a hydraulic brake master cylinder (210) in the vehicle (102) in an actuated state when a distance between the vehicle (102) and at least one of the obstacles is less than a predefined threshold, wherein the hydraulic brake master cylinder (210) disposed in the actuated state allows a flow of brake fluid into a brake caliper (212) of the vehicle (102), which automatically activates one or more brakes (106) of the vehicle (102).

8. The acceleration override system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the acceleration override system (100) is implemented in one or more of a vehicle theft alert management system and a security system in an industrial environment.

9. A method for overriding an unintended acceleration of a vehicle (102), comprising:
identifying a user driving the vehicle (102) and associated demographic information by a user identification unit (108);
acquiring information related to one or more of a current driving condition of the vehicle (102) using an ambient monitoring system (114);
measuring a steering pressure applied on a steering wheel (126) of the vehicle (102) and an accelerator pressure applied on an accelerator (104) of the vehicle (102) using a one or more pressure sensors (128);
determining a first personalized threshold range for the steering pressure and a second personalized threshold range for the accelerator pressure specific to the identified user by a calibration subsystem (134) based on one or more of the demographic information and the current driving condition of the vehicle (102);
continuously monitoring the steering pressure and the accelerator pressure while the user is driving the vehicle (102) by an electronic control subsystem (130); and
automatically implementing one or more corrective actions by a speed management subsystem (136) when the steering pressure and the accelerator pressure are determined to exceed corresponding upper limits of the first personalized threshold range and the second personalized threshold range, respectively, wherein the corrective actions comprise one or more of disengaging the accelerator (104) of the vehicle (102), activating one or more brakes (106) of the vehicle (102), and controlling the steering wheel (126) of the vehicle (102) to navigate the vehicle (102) to a safe spot.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the method comprises:
generating demographic profiles for a plurality of users of a plurality of vehicles based on corresponding demographic information of the users, health conditions of the users, steering pressure applied by the users on corresponding steering wheels while driving the vehicles in different driving conditions, and accelerator pressure applied by the users on corresponding accelerators while driving the vehicles in different driving conditions;
categorizing the users into a plurality of demographic groups based on one or more of the demographic information and the health conditions of the users;
determining a reference steering pressure threshold range for each group of users categorized in each of the demographic groups based on the steering pressure applied on the corresponding steering wheels by the corresponding group of users; and
determining a reference accelerator pressure threshold range for each group of users categorized in each of the demographic groups based on the accelerator pressure applied on the corresponding accelerators by the corresponding group of users.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein determining the first personalized threshold range for the steering pressure and the second personalized threshold range for the accelerator pressure comprises:
identifying a demographic group of the identified user from the plurality of demographic groups based on the demographic information of the identified user identified using the user identification unit (108);
assigning the reference steering pressure threshold range and the reference accelerator pressure threshold range determined for the identified demographic group as an initial steering pressure threshold range and an initial accelerator pressure threshold range, respectively, for the identified user to identify an initial event indicative of the unintended acceleration of the vehicle (102);
determining a personalized steering pressure range and a personalized accelerator pressure range for the identified user in the current driving condition of the vehicle (102) based on a plurality of steering pressure values and accelerator pressure values applied by the identified user on the steering wheel (126) and the accelerator (104), respectively, that are measured by the one or more pressure sensors (128) during a designated period of time.