Adaptive Vehicle Control Thresholds for Curved Roads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated driving systems face challenges in smoothly transitioning control from automated to manual mode when a preceding vehicle makes lateral movements, causing frequent changes in automation levels that can burden and discomfort drivers due to sudden alerts and shifts in driving responsibilities.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control apparatus that monitors peripheral information, including lateral movements of preceding vehicles, road shape, and lane markings, to dynamically adjust the automation level by setting thresholds based on these factors, ensuring appropriate alerts and reducing driver burden by anticipating and preparing for potential lane changes or obstacles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vehicle following control ends when the preceding vehicle moves beyond the lane boundary line, then the safety is improved by preventing unintended following, but the driver burden increases due to sudden automation level changes and frequent alerts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the threshold for ending vehicle following control adaptable rather than fixed. The control ending threshold is dynamically adjusted based on road curvature radius, allowing the system to adapt to different road conditions. On curves with small radius, the threshold is relaxed to prevent unnecessary control termination, while on straight roads, the threshold remains strict for safety. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by maintaining safety on straight roads while reducing driver burden on curved roads where lateral movement is more common.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of control ending threshold based on road geometry parameters (curvature radius). When the road curvature radius is below a predetermined threshold, the system adjusts the lateral movement threshold for ending following control. This parameter change allows the system to distinguish between intentional lane changes and lateral movements caused by road geometry, thereby reducing false alarms and driver burden while maintaining safety through context-aware control termination decisions.
2Speed
If the automation level is decreased and driver alert is performed when lateral movement of preceding vehicle is detected, then the driver response time is improved, but the driver comfort deteriorates due to frequent alerts and automation level changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the threshold parameter for triggering automation level changes based on road curvature radius. On roads with small curvature radius, the system uses a larger threshold for lateral movement detection, preventing frequent false alerts. On straight roads, the threshold is smaller to ensure timely driver response. This parameter adaptation resolves the contradiction by maintaining fast driver response on safe roads while improving driver comfort on curved roads where lateral movement is more likely.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the sensitivity of lateral movement detection based on road geometry. The control ending threshold is not fixed but adapts to the current road conditions, being more permissive on curves and stricter on straight sections. This dynamic behavior allows the system to maintain appropriate driver response times without causing unnecessary discomfort from frequent automation level changes.
3Measurement precision
If the vehicle follows the preceding vehicle in lateral direction, then the following control accuracy is improved, but the system reliability worsens when the preceding vehicle moves beyond lane boundaries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts the threshold parameter for determining when to end following control based on road curvature radius. This parameter change allows the system to maintain high following accuracy on straight roads while avoiding unreliable following on curved roads where lateral movement may indicate intentional lane changes. The adaptive threshold ensures the system only terminates following control when it is truly necessary, balancing accuracy and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts its following behavior based on road geometry conditions. By making the control termination threshold adaptive to road curvature, the system maintains accurate following when appropriate while reliably detecting when following should end. This dynamic adjustment prevents the system from mistakenly continuing to follow when the preceding vehicle has intentionally changed lanes on curved roads.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle control apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises a controller that performs following control of following the preceding vehicle based on the peripheral information. The controller controls traveling of a self-vehicle by setting one of a first state which requires driving preparation by a driver and a second state which does not require the driving preparation by the driver, controls the self-vehicle by setting the first state if a behavior amount of the preceding vehicle exceeds a threshold; and controls the vehicle by setting the second state if the behavior amount of the preceding vehicle does not exceed the threshold, and changes the threshold based on the peripheral information.