Auto Emergency Light Activation for Harsh Braking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous driving vehicles at level 3 require manual intervention for switching on emergency lights during harsh braking, which is not automated, posing a safety concern for following vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for automatically determining when to switch on an emergency light in an autonomous driving vehicle by evaluating current speed, deceleration, recent deceleration history, and expected deceleration conditions, using sensors and networked systems to assess the need for an emergency light activation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual intervention is required for switching on emergency lights during harsh braking at level 3 autonomous driving, then driver control and intervention capability are maintained, but safety response time is delayed and following vehicles are not adequately warned
Solution Approach 1:
The emergency light system automatically activates itself based on detected braking conditions without requiring driver intervention. The system monitors deceleration data and autonomously determines when emergency lighting is necessary, making the system self-serving rather than requiring manual activation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors braking deceleration data and uses this feedback to automatically trigger emergency light activation. By establishing a feedback loop between braking detection and light activation, the system responds appropriately to harsh braking events without manual input.
2Reliability
If automatic emergency light activation is implemented during harsh braking, then safety warning to following vehicles is improved, but system complexity increases due to multiple condition evaluations
Solution Approach 1:
The deceleration evaluation is divided into distinct temporal segments: recent deceleration history (immediate past) and expected deceleration (future projection). This segmentation allows the system to evaluate different aspects of braking behavior separately and combine them for a comprehensive activation decision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary evaluation of recent deceleration history and expected deceleration before making the final activation decision. By assessing these conditions in advance, the system ensures that emergency lights are activated only when truly necessary, reducing false positives while maintaining safety.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a method, apparatus, and system for automatically switching on an emergency light at an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) is disclosed. A present speed of an ADV at a first time instant is determined. A present deceleration of the ADV at the first time instant is determined. Whether the present speed satisfies a present speed condition and whether the present deceleration satisfies a present deceleration condition at the first time instant are determined. In response to determining that the present speed satisfies the present speed condition and that the present deceleration satisfies the present deceleration condition, whether a recent deceleration history of the ADV satisfies a recent deceleration history condition and whether an expected deceleration of the ADV satisfies an expected deceleration condition are determined. If either condition is satisfied, an emergency light of the ADV is automatically switched on.