US Patent 9513632 Driving mode alerts from self-driving vehicles

A computer-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product alerts a proximate entity of a current real-time driving mode of a vehicle. One or more processors determine a current real-time driving mode of a vehicle. The current real-time driving mode is either an autonomous mode or a manual mode. The vehicle is in the autonomous mode when being driven and controlled by an on-board computer, and the vehicle is in the manual mode when being driven and controlled by a human driver. The processor(s) generate a driving mode indicator that identifies the current real-time driving mode of the vehicle. An indicator emitter then broadcasts the driving mode indicator from the vehicle to the proximate entity, such that the driving mode indicator indicates the current real-time driving mode of the vehicle.