Adaptive Cruise Control Distance Adjustment in Rain and Snow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional adaptive cruise control (ACC) systems perform poorly in bad weather conditions, leading to potential collisions due to hardware detection performance degradation, especially when radar sensors are blocked by rain or snow, causing automatic release of control operations.
Innovation Solution
A driver assistance apparatus and method that includes a detector and controller to monitor wiper operation and slip rate, adjusting the distance control and acceleration settings to maintain a safer distance and decelerate the vehicle, and identifies weather conditions to adjust ACC settings accordingly, using data from sensors like temperature and gyro sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the ACC system maintains a standard distance based on radar detection data, then the system operates efficiently under normal conditions, but the system performance degrades and control is automatically released in bad weather conditions due to radar sensor blockage
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by monitoring wiper operation and slip rate to detect bad weather conditions before radar blockage occurs. By identifying these early indicators, the system proactively adjusts the following distance to a safer value, preventing control release and maintaining reliable operation throughout the weather event.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring wiper operation status and vehicle slip rate, and using this information to dynamically adjust the ACC following distance. This closed-loop feedback ensures the system adapts to changing weather conditions and maintains reliable control operation.
2Productivity
If the ACC system uses a short following distance to improve productivity and reduce travel time, then efficiency increases, but the risk of collision increases in bad weather conditions with reduced detection performance
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies dynamics by making the following distance adjustable rather than fixed. Based on real-time monitoring of wiper operation and slip rate, the system dynamically changes the distance parameter - using shorter distances when conditions are good for productivity, and automatically extending to safer distances when bad weather is detected, thus balancing efficiency and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the distance parameter based on weather conditions. By monitoring indicators like wiper operation and slip rate, the system adjusts the following distance parameter to appropriate values, ensuring collision avoidance capability is maintained while allowing efficient travel when conditions permit.
3Measurement precision
If the ACC system automatically releases control in bad weather due to radar blockage, then false collision warnings are avoided, but actual collision risk increases when the driver intends to maintain control
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses wiper operation and slip rate as intermediary indicators to detect bad weather conditions. These intermediaries provide early warning of radar blockage risks, allowing the system to adjust distance proactively and maintain control without false releases, thus preventing actual collisions while avoiding unnecessary control disengagement.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein, a driver assistance apparatus includes a detector installed in a vehicle, the detector having a view in front of a vehicle and configured to obtain detection data; and a controller including a processor configured to process the detection data; wherein the controller is configured to identify operation of a wiper of the vehicle and calculate a slip rate of the vehicle with respect to a road surface while performing an adaptive cruise control (ACC) that maintains a distance with a vehicle in front at a first distance based on the detection data, and control a driving of the vehicle to maintain the distance with the vehicle in front to a second distance greater than the first distance based on the operation of the wiper and the slip rate.