Highway cooperative signal prompting system and method for automatic driving vehicles
By using a collaborative system of roadside signal transmitters and vehicle-mounted receivers, the problem of autonomous vehicles being unable to recognize traffic signs in adverse weather or complex road conditions has been solved, achieving efficient and reliable structured communication and improving driving safety and traffic efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-04
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-13
AI Technical Summary
Autonomous vehicles cannot recognize traditional traffic signs in a timely and accurate manner under adverse weather or complex road conditions. Existing variable message signs are simple and unstructured, making it impossible to achieve highly reliable information interaction. Highways lack two-way, structured communication with vehicles.
A collaborative system is constructed by using roadside signal transmitters and vehicle-mounted receivers. It achieves efficient and reliable structured digital communication through V2X communication modules, and provides standardized digital signal messages by combining edge computing and high-precision positioning. The system is then integrated and verified within the vehicle.
It improves the driving safety and traffic efficiency of autonomous vehicles on highways, provides sensor-independent perception redundancy, reduces decision delay and misjudgment risk, and achieves beyond-line-of-sight perception.
Smart Images
Figure CN121661857A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of signal processing technology, and in particular to a highway cooperative signal prompting system and method for autonomous vehicles. Background Technology
[0002] The sensors (cameras, lidar, millimeter-wave radar) of autonomous vehicles (especially Level 2-4) may have reduced perception capabilities under adverse weather conditions (heavy rain, heavy fog, dense smoke), strong backlight, or complex road geometry (sharp bends, uphill and downhill slopes), and may be unable to recognize traditional traffic signs, markings and signals in a timely and accurate manner.
[0003] Existing variable information signs (VMS) have simple and unstructured content, requiring vehicles to expend computing power for image recognition and semantic understanding, making it impossible to achieve millisecond-level, highly reliable information interaction.
[0004] Currently, highways lack standardized roadside equipment for two-way, structured, and digital communication with vehicles, making it impossible to directly inform the vehicle control system of the road's "intentions" (such as construction ahead, congestion, accidents, ramp control, lane opening / closing). Summary of the Invention
[0005] The present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned deficiencies in the prior art and provides a highway cooperative signal prompting system and method for autonomous vehicles that can improve highway driving safety and traffic efficiency.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A highway cooperative signal prompting system for autonomous vehicles includes a roadside signal transmitter and an on-board receiver. The roadside signal transmitter includes a main control module, a communication module, a positioning module, and a power supply and interface module, wherein: The main control module is a microprocessor or edge computing unit, which is responsible for generating standardized digital signal messages; The communication module is a V2X communication module, which is responsible for broadcasting digital signals to autonomous vehicles within range; The positioning module is used to determine the geographical location of the roadside signal transmitter and to include this location information in the digital signal; The power and interface module has a built-in rechargeable battery and power supply module for powering the roadside signal transmitter and providing an interface for communication with the highway central management system. The on-board receiver is used to receive digital signals sent by the roadside signal transmitter via the communication module and to fuse and verify this digital information with the sensor perception results of the autonomous vehicle itself.
[0007] The core of this invention lies in constructing a collaborative system of "roadside signal transmitter + vehicle-mounted receiver", thereby providing a roadside system capable of efficient, reliable, and structured digital communication with autonomous vehicles to compensate for the limitations of vehicle perception and improve highway driving safety and traffic efficiency.
[0008] Preferably, the roadside signal transmitter can be installed on highway guardrails, gantry frames, or streetlight poles, the power supply module is one or more of mains power, solar power, and battery power, and the interface for communicating with the highway central management system is one or more of 4G, 5G, and fiber optic.
[0009] Preferably, the roadside signal transmitter also includes a visual prompting module, which can be integrated with an LED dot matrix screen or a status indicator light of a specific color, providing visual backup for the vehicle driver and the autonomous driving system.
[0010] This invention also provides a highway cooperative signal prompting method for autonomous vehicles, specifically including the following steps: (1) The roadside signal transmitter obtains dynamic traffic instructions from the highway management center through an interface that communicates with the highway central management system; (2) The main control module in the roadside signal transmitting device encapsulates the instruction into a standardized structured digital signal message; (3) The communication module in the roadside signal transmitter will continuously broadcast digital signal messages containing event type, affected lane, start / end position and suggested action information to the surrounding autonomous vehicles; (4) The autonomous vehicle equipped with the V2X onboard unit receives the digital signal message via the onboard receiver; (5) The vehicle decision system in the autonomous vehicle fuses and verifies this digital signal information with the perception results of its own sensors.
[0011] Preferably, in step (2), the main control module in the roadside signal transmitter converts the detected traffic instructions into specific, executable digital signal suggestion instructions; this is achieved through a model based on a minimum safe warning distance, where warning information must be sent to the autonomous vehicle from outside this distance; the implementation method is as follows: (21) Obtain traffic incident information from the highway management center or locally; (22) The main control module in the roadside signal transmitter determines whether it is necessary to generate a minimum safety warning distance. If so, proceed to the next step; otherwise, return to step (21). (23) Calculate the minimum safe warning distance D minAnd determine the distance D between the installation location of the roadside signal transmitter and the traffic incident point. actual Determine D actual Is it greater than D? min If so, the information is continuously broadcast through the communication module in the roadside signal transmitter; otherwise, return to step (21).
[0012] Preferably, in step (23), the formula for calculating the minimum safe warning distance is as follows: Among them, V max This refers to the maximum speed limit for that section of road, T reaction This refers to the total system response time, V. target This refers to the expected safe speed of an autonomous vehicle when it passes the event point, A safe D refers to the absolute value of the deceleration that ensures comfort and safety for autonomous vehicles. buffer This refers to the safe buffer distance.
[0013] Preferably, in step (5), after the autonomous vehicle receives the digital signal sent by the roadside signal transmitter, it needs to fuse it with its own sensor information. A trust-based weighted fusion algorithm is proposed, which prioritizes trusting the digital signal sent by the roadside signal transmitter when its own sensor signal is interfered with. The specific implementation method is as follows: (51) In an autonomous vehicle, the vehicle decision system receives structured digital signal messages broadcast by the roadside signal transmitter via the communication module, and at the same time obtains environmental perception information through its own onboard sensors. (52) Evaluate the credibility of the current environment and determine whether the sensor is limited. If so, proceed to the next step; otherwise, execute the control command. (53) Execute a confidence-based weighted fusion algorithm, plan vehicle control instructions based on the fusion results, output the optimized fusion decision and execute it.
[0014] Preferably, in step (53), the confidence-based weighted fusion algorithm is as follows: (a) Calculation of fusion decision value: Among them, F decision This refers to the final fusion decision value, D. rsi Digital recommended value from roadside signal transmitter, D sensor The perceived value from the vehicle's own sensors, C rsi This refers to the reliability coefficient of roadside information, C. sensor This refers to the reliability coefficient of the vehicle's own sensors; (b) Convert credibility into a measure of uncertainty: Among them, R rsi This refers to the variance of roadside information observation noise, R. sensor This refers to the variance of the noise observed by the sensor itself; (c) Perform Kalman gain calculation: Among them, K rsi This refers to the Kalman gain of roadside information, K. sensor This refers to the Kalman gain of the sensor itself; (d) Determining the optimal weights through uncertainty, resulting in the optimized fusion decision value: .
[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are: (1) Enhanced perception redundancy: It creatively provides an independent, digital "road view" for autonomous driving systems, which constitutes a key safety redundancy, especially in extreme scenarios where sensor performance is limited; (2) Information structuring and directing: It is no longer an image that needs to be recognized, but a structured command or suggestion that can be directly understood and executed by the vehicle, which greatly reduces decision delay and risk of misjudgment; (3) "God's-eye view" empowerment: It can inform vehicles in advance of information beyond the line of sight (such as accidents behind curves, traffic light phases at the next intersection), realize beyond-visual-range perception, and thus make better decisions; (4) Hardware structure innovation: V2X communication, edge computing, high-precision positioning and optional visual prompting modules are integrated into a physical shell that meets automotive-grade requirements and is specifically designed for highway scenarios, forming an innovative product. Attached Figure Description
[0016] Figure 1 This is the overall system architecture diagram of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a system structure block diagram of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the method for generating dynamic early warning signals by the roadside unit of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the method for processing roadside signals and making decisions on the autonomous vehicle side of the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0017] The present invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.
[0018] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 In the described embodiment, a highway cooperative signal prompting system for autonomous vehicles includes a roadside signal transmitter and an on-board receiver. The roadside signal transmitter includes a main control module, a communication module, a positioning module, and a power supply and interface module, wherein: The main control module is a microprocessor or edge computing unit, which is responsible for generating standardized digital signal messages.
[0019] The communication module is a V2X communication module (DSRC or C-V2X), which is key to achieving low-latency, high-reliability communication and is responsible for broadcasting digital signals to autonomous vehicles within range.
[0020] The positioning module uses a high-precision positioning module (such as GNSS / RTK) to accurately determine the geographical location of the roadside signal transmitter and include this location information in the digital signal.
[0021] The power and interface module has a built-in rechargeable battery and power supply module for powering the roadside signal transmitter and providing an interface for communication with the highway central management system.
[0022] The on-board receiver is used to receive digital signals sent by the roadside signal transmitter via the communication module and to fuse and verify this digital information with the sensor perception results of the autonomous vehicle itself.
[0023] Optionally, the visual cue module can integrate an LED dot matrix screen or status indicator lights of specific colors (such as blue or purple) to provide visual backup for the vehicle driver and the autonomous driving system. For example, a flashing blue light indicates "system online," while a red light indicates "extreme danger ahead."
[0024] The roadside signal transmitter is a mobile physical device that can be installed on highway guardrails, gantries, or streetlight poles, allowing for flexible deployment. The power supply module can be one or more of mains power, solar power, or battery power, and the interface for communication with the highway central management system is one or more of 4G, 5G, or fiber optic.
[0025] This invention also provides a highway cooperative signal prompting method for autonomous vehicles, specifically including the following steps: (1) The roadside signal transmitter obtains dynamic traffic instructions (such as "500 meters ahead, the leftmost lane is closed") from the highway management center through an interface that communicates with the highway management center.
[0026] (2) The main control module in the roadside signal transmitter encapsulates the instruction into a standardized structured digital signal message (e.g., using the SPaT / MAP message in the SAE J2735 standard or a custom message).
[0027] The core task of the roadside unit is that the main control module in the roadside signal transmitter converts detected traffic event instructions (such as accidents or construction) into specific, executable digital signal suggestion instructions (such as recommended speed and recommended lane). This is achieved through a model based on a minimum safe warning distance, at which point warning information must begin to be sent to the autonomous vehicle. Figure 3 As shown, the implementation method is as follows: (21) Obtain traffic incident information from the highway management center or locally; (22) The main control module in the roadside signal transmitter determines whether it is necessary to generate a minimum safety warning distance. If so, proceed to the next step; otherwise, return to step (21). (23) Calculate the minimum safe warning distance D min And determine the distance D between the installation location of the roadside signal transmitter and the traffic incident point. actual Determine D actual Is it greater than D? min If so, the information is continuously broadcast through the communication module in the roadside signal transmitter; otherwise, return to step (21). The formula for calculating the minimum safety warning distance is as follows: Among them, V max This refers to the maximum speed limit for that section of road; T reaction This refers to the total system response time (including communication latency + vehicle processing latency), typically preset to 1-2 seconds; V target This refers to the expected safe speed of an autonomous vehicle when passing through an event point (e.g., a speed limit of 30 km / h in a construction zone); A safe This refers to the absolute value of deceleration (e.g., 2.5 m / s²) that ensures comfort and safety for autonomous vehicles. 2 ); D buffer This refers to the safety buffer distance, which is usually 10-20 meters.
[0028] Algorithm application examples: Assuming a speed limit of V max = 120 km / h (33.3 m / s) section, construction is ahead 500 meters, speed needs to be controlled at V. target = 60 km / h (16.7 m / s). Take T reaction = 1.5s, A sate = 2.5 m / s2 D buffer =15m.
[0029] Conclusion: Roadside units should begin issuing warnings at least 230.95 meters upstream of the incident point. In actual deployment, a more conservative distance, such as 500 meters, will be chosen.
[0030] (3) The communication module in the roadside signal transmitter will continuously broadcast digital signal messages containing information such as event type, affected lane, start / end position, and suggested action (such as "suggest changing lanes to the right") to the surrounding autonomous vehicles.
[0031] (4) The autonomous vehicle equipped with a V2X on-board unit (OBU) receives the digital signal message via the on-board receiver.
[0032] (5) The vehicle decision system in an autonomous vehicle fuses and verifies this digital signal information with the perception results of its own sensors. Even if the perception capability of its own sensors decreases, the vehicle can still take safety strategies (such as early and smooth lane changes and deceleration) based on the digital information sent by this highly reliable roadside signal transmitter.
[0033] After receiving digital signals from roadside signal transmitters, autonomous vehicles need to fuse them with their own sensor information. This invention proposes a trust-based weighted fusion algorithm that prioritizes trusting the digital signals transmitted by the roadside signal transmitters when the vehicles' own sensor signals are interfered with. Figure 4 As shown, the specific implementation method is as follows: (51) In an autonomous vehicle, the vehicle decision system receives structured digital signal messages broadcast by the roadside signal transmitter via the communication module, and at the same time obtains environmental perception information through its own onboard sensors. (52) Evaluate the credibility of the current environment and determine whether the sensor is limited. If so, proceed to the next step; otherwise, execute the control command. (53) Execute the credibility-based weighted fusion algorithm, plan vehicle control commands based on the fusion results, output the optimized fusion decision, and execute it. The credibility-based weighted fusion algorithm is as follows: (a) Calculation of fusion decision value: Among them, F decision This refers to the final fusion decision value (such as the suggested speed or steering angle), D rsi Digital recommended values from the Road Side Unit, D sensor The perceived value from the vehicle's own sensors, C rsiThis refers to the reliability coefficient of roadside information, C. sensor This refers to the reliability coefficient of the vehicle's own sensors.
[0034] (b) Convert credibility into a measure of uncertainty: Among them, R rsi This refers to the variance of roadside information observation noise, R. sensor This refers to the variance of the noise observed by the sensor itself.
[0035] (c) Perform Kalman gain calculation: Among them, K rsi This refers to the Kalman gain of roadside information, K. sensor This refers to the Kalman gain of the sensor itself.
[0036] (d) Determine the optimal weights through uncertainty (covariance), resulting in the optimized fusion decision value: .
[0037] This is a key innovation. Under normal circumstances, C rsi It can be set to a fixed value (e.g., 0.7). However, in severe weather (heavy rain, dense fog) or complex optical conditions (backlight), this system dynamically reduces C based on its own onboard sensors or weather forecast data. sensor Relatively improve C rsi The weighting. For example, when a rain sensor detects heavy rain, C sensor It can be reduced from 0.8 to 0.3, while C rsi Maintaining a value of 0.7, this system will primarily rely on roadside information.
[0038] Implementation Example 1: Highway Curve Warning System Deployment: Deploy the roadside signal transmitter of this system 200 meters before the entrance to the sharp bend.
[0039] Function: This device continuously broadcasts the message: "Sharp curve ahead, recommended maximum safe speed is 80km / h, radius of curvature is XXX meters." Autonomous vehicles can adjust their speed and steering posture in advance, improving comfort and safety.
[0040] Implementation Example 2: Lane Guidance System in Construction Zone Deployment: Deploy the roadside signal transmitters of this system at 500 meters, 300 meters, and 100 meters upstream of the construction area.
[0041] Function: This device broadcasts sequentially: "Construction ahead 500 meters, rightmost lane closed," "Suggest changing lanes to the left," and "Please confirm successful lane change." Vehicles can use this information to make orderly and automated lane changes, avoiding sudden braking or congestion at the construction zone entrance.
[0042] Implementation Example 3: Collaborative Control Algorithm for Lane Guidance in Construction Zones (i) Roadside unit behavior (serialized instruction broadcast): Devices RSU1, RSU2, and RSU3 are deployed at locations S1 (500 meters), S2 (300 meters), and S3 (100 meters) upstream of the construction site, respectively.
[0043] RSU1 broadcast message: M1 = {Event type: Lane closed, Affected lane: far right, Suggested action: Start looking for lane change opportunities, Recommended speed: 100km / h}.
[0044] RSU2 broadcast message: M2 = {Event type: Lane closed, Affected lane: Rightmost lane, Suggested action: Immediately change lanes to the left, Recommended speed: 80km / h}.
[0045] RSU3 broadcast message: M3 = {Event type: Lane closure confirmed, Affected lane: far right, Suggested action: Change lanes to avoid, Recommended speed: 60km / h}.
[0046] (ii) Vehicle-side algorithm flow (pseudocode): pseudocode Vehicle V continuously listens for RSU messages while in motion. WHILE TRUE: Message M received from RSU_X IF M.EventType== "Lane Closed": / / Using Formula 2 for information fusion Fusion speed = Credibility-weighted fusion (M. Recommendation speed, Self-sensor perception speed) Fusion lane suggestion = credibility-weighted fusion (M. suggested action, lane status perceived by own sensors) If the current lane == M. Affected lane: IF M. Suggested Action == "Start looking for lane change opportunities": The planning module initiates a lane-changing game to find a safe gap.
[0047] ELSE IF M. Suggested Action == "Immediately change lanes to the left": The control module performs active lane changes, prioritizing comfort over safety.
[0048] END IF END IF Set the cruise speed to the merge speed. END IF END WHILE The core of this invention lies in constructing a collaborative system of "roadside signal transmitter + vehicle-mounted receiver," thereby providing a roadside system capable of efficient, reliable, and structured digital communication with autonomous vehicles. This compensates for the limitations of vehicle perception and improves highway driving safety and traffic efficiency. The innovations and advantages of this invention are as follows: (1) Enhanced perception redundancy: It creatively provides autonomous driving systems with a digital "road view" independent of physical sensors, which constitutes a key safety redundancy, especially in extreme scenarios where sensor performance is limited.
[0049] (2) Information structuring and directing: Instead of images that need to be identified, there are structured commands or suggestions that can be directly understood and executed by the vehicle, which greatly reduces decision delays and the risk of misjudgment.
[0050] (3) "God's-eye view" empowerment: It can inform vehicles in advance of information beyond the line of sight (such as accidents behind curves, traffic light phases at the next intersection), realize beyond-visual-range perception, and thus make better decisions.
[0051] (4) Hardware structure innovation: V2X communication, edge computing, high-precision positioning and optional visual prompting modules are integrated into a physical shell that meets automotive-grade requirements and is specifically designed for highway scenarios, forming an innovative product.
Claims
1. A highway cooperative signal prompting system for autonomous vehicles, characterized in that, It includes a roadside signal transmitter and a vehicle-mounted receiver. The roadside signal transmitter includes a main control module, a communication module, a positioning module, and a power supply and interface module, wherein: The main control module is a microprocessor or edge computing unit, which is responsible for generating standardized digital signal messages; The communication module is a V2X communication module, which is responsible for broadcasting digital signals to autonomous vehicles within range; The positioning module is used to determine the geographical location of the roadside signal transmitter and to include this location information in the digital signal; The power and interface module has a built-in rechargeable battery and power supply module for powering the roadside signal transmitter and providing an interface for communication with the highway central management system. The on-board receiver is used to receive digital signals sent by the roadside signal transmitter via the communication module and to fuse and verify this digital information with the sensor perception results of the autonomous vehicle itself.
2. The highway cooperative signal prompting system for autonomous vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The roadside signal transmitter can be installed on highway guardrails, gantry frames, or streetlight poles. The power supply module is one or more of mains power and solar power. The interface for communicating with the highway central management system is one or more of 4G, 5G, and fiber optic.
3. A highway cooperative signal prompting system for autonomous vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The roadside signal transmitter also includes a visual prompting module, which can be integrated with an LED dot matrix screen or a status indicator light of a specific color to provide visual backup for vehicle drivers and autonomous driving systems.
4. A highway cooperative signal prompting method for autonomous vehicles according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that, Specifically, the steps include the following: (1) The roadside signal transmitter obtains dynamic traffic instructions from the highway management center through an interface that communicates with the highway central management system; (2) The main control module in the roadside signal transmitting device encapsulates the instruction into a standardized structured digital signal message; (3) The communication module in the roadside signal transmitter will continuously broadcast digital signal messages containing event type, affected lane, start / end position and suggested action information to the surrounding autonomous vehicles; (4) The autonomous vehicle equipped with the V2X onboard unit receives the digital signal message via the onboard receiver; (5) The vehicle decision system in the autonomous vehicle fuses and verifies this digital signal information with the perception results of its own sensors.
5. A highway cooperative signal prompting method for autonomous vehicles according to claim 4, characterized in that, In step (2), the main control module in the roadside signal transmitter converts the detected traffic instructions into specific, executable digital signal suggestion instructions; this is achieved through a model based on a minimum safe warning distance, where warning information must be sent to the autonomous vehicle from outside this distance; the implementation method is as follows: (21) Obtain traffic incident information from the highway management center or locally; (22) The main control module in the roadside signal transmitter determines whether it is necessary to generate a minimum safety warning distance. If so, proceed to the next step; otherwise, return to step (21). (23) Calculate the minimum safe warning distance D min And determine the distance D between the installation location of the roadside signal transmitter and the traffic incident point. actual Determine D actual Is it greater than D? min If so, the information is continuously broadcast through the communication module in the roadside signal transmitter; otherwise, return to step (21).
6. A highway cooperative signal prompting method for autonomous vehicles according to claim 5, characterized in that, in In step (23), the formula for calculating the minimum safe warning distance is as follows: Among them, V max This refers to the maximum speed limit for that section of road, T reaction This refers to the total system response time, V. target This refers to the expected safe speed of an autonomous vehicle when it passes the event point, A safe D refers to the absolute value of the deceleration that ensures comfort and safety for autonomous vehicles. buffer This refers to the safe buffer distance.
7. A highway cooperative signal prompting method for autonomous vehicles according to claim 4, characterized in that, In step (5), after the autonomous vehicle receives the digital signal sent by the roadside signal transmitter, it needs to fuse it with its own sensor information. A trust-based weighted fusion algorithm is proposed, which prioritizes trusting the digital signal sent by the roadside signal transmitter when its own sensor signals are interfered with. The specific implementation method is as follows: (51) In an autonomous vehicle, the vehicle decision system receives structured digital signal messages broadcast by the roadside signal transmitter via the communication module, and at the same time obtains environmental perception information through its own onboard sensors. (52) Evaluate the credibility of the current environment and determine whether the sensor is limited. If so, proceed to the next step; otherwise, execute the control command. (53) Execute a confidence-based weighted fusion algorithm, plan vehicle control instructions based on the fusion results, output the optimized fusion decision and execute it.
8. A highway cooperative signal prompting method for autonomous vehicles according to claim 7, characterized in that, In step (53), the confidence-based weighted fusion algorithm is as follows: (a) Calculation of fusion decision value: Among them, F decision This refers to the final fusion decision value, D. rsi Digital recommended value from roadside signal transmitter, D sensor The perceived value from the vehicle's own sensors, C rsi This refers to the reliability coefficient of roadside information, C. sensor This refers to the reliability coefficient of the vehicle's own sensors; (b) Convert credibility into a measure of uncertainty: Among them, R rsi This refers to the variance of roadside information observation noise, R. sensor This refers to the variance of the noise observed by the sensor itself; (c) Perform Kalman gain calculation: Among them, K rsi This refers to the Kalman gain of roadside information, K. sensor This refers to the Kalman gain of the sensor itself; (d) Determining the optimal weights through uncertainty, resulting in the optimized fusion decision value: 。