Adaptive Cruise Control Using Traffic Light Recognition
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adaptive cruise control (ACC) systems using millimeter-wave radars cannot recognize traffic signal lights, leading to a high probability of driver violations and increased traffic accidents due to driver inattentiveness.
Innovation Solution
An adaptive cruise control system is enhanced with a wireless receiving module to obtain traffic light state information, combined with a camera for additional recognition, enabling the system to perform stop control or adaptive cruise control based on this information, ensuring compliance with traffic signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If adaptive cruise control continuously maintains a predetermined distance from a preceding vehicle, then safety is improved, but the system cannot respond to traffic light changes causing unnecessary braking or failure to brake
Solution Approach 1:
The adaptive cruise control system is enhanced with multi-functionality by integrating traffic light recognition capabilities alongside existing vehicle detection functions. The system uses the existing camera to detect both vehicles and traffic lights, and the controller processes multiple types of signals (vehicle distance, traffic light color, vehicle speed) to make comprehensive control decisions, allowing the system to adapt to both vehicle-following and traffic light scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring traffic light color changes and vehicle speeds, then adjusting cruise control commands accordingly. The controller receives feedback about traffic light state (red/yellow/green) and preceding vehicle speed, processes this information, and generates appropriate control signals to accelerate, maintain speed, or decelerate the host vehicle, creating a closed-loop control system that adapts to changing traffic conditions.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If the system decelerates to stop when a traffic light is red, then traffic rule compliance is improved, but stopping distance may be insufficient if the light changes to yellow or green
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by detecting traffic light color changes in advance and preparing appropriate control responses. When a red light is detected, the system begins deceleration sequences early to ensure safe stopping. When yellow or green lights are detected, the system prepares acceleration or maintenance commands in advance, allowing the vehicle to respond appropriately before the light change becomes critical, thus balancing compliance with adequate response time.
Solution Approach 2:
The cruise control system transitions from static distance-maintaining behavior to dynamic behavior that adapts to traffic light conditions. The controller dynamically adjusts control parameters based on real-time traffic light color and preceding vehicle speed, switching between deceleration for red lights, maintenance for yellow lights, and acceleration for green lights, creating a flexible responsive system that optimizes both compliance and stopping distance.
3Device complexity
If the camera detects only vehicles and pedestrians, then detection simplicity is maintained, but traffic light recognition capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system is designed with multi-functionality to perform both traditional vehicle/pedestrian detection and traffic light recognition using the same hardware component. The image processing algorithms are enhanced to identify traffic light colors (red, yellow, green) in addition to detecting vehicles and pedestrians, allowing the single camera to serve multiple detection purposes without adding separate specialized sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The existing camera system performs self-service by extending its detection capabilities to include traffic lights without requiring additional external hardware. The controller processes the camera's image data to automatically identify traffic light colors and integrate this information into cruise control decisions, allowing the system to enhance its own functionality using existing components.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
The present invention relates to the filed of automatic drive and intelligent transportation system, an adaptive cruise control system and an adaptive cruise control method supporting traffic light recognition are provided. The adaptive cruise control system in the present invention includes: a wireless receiving module adaptive with a wireless transmission module of the traffic light and configured to receive first traffic light state information about a traffic light on the current lane sent by the wireless transmission module; and a main controller being in communication with the wireless receiving module and configured to obtain the first traffic light state information received from the wireless receiving module, and perform a stop control or adaptive cruise control based on the first traffic light state information. In the present invention, the wireless receiving module adaptive with the wireless transmission module of the traffic light is introduced to obtain the state information of the traffic lights, and an adaptive cruise control for avoiding a driver from violation of traffic light is further realized based on the state information of the traffic lights, so that a safety of driving can be improved.